Perfect for an outdoor picnic or a casual dinner party, pasta salad is a versatile summer side dish. Yet it can also be less than spectacular: I’m sure you’ve had at least one rubbery, starchy, or bland version. But pasta salads don’t have to feel leaden; a few principles can make yours feel lighter, fresher, and, well, more like a salad. Start by using a high proportion of vegetables and other add-ins, so that the dish isn’t all about the pasta but instead has the refreshing effect that an abundance of seasonal vegetables, herbs, and cheeses bring to it. Then follow a few other tips to avoid pasta salad pitfalls.

Your finished dish will only be as good as the quality of the raw materials. Don’t make a pasta salad with old or wilted vegetables, or with old, musty ground spices. If your dried pasta has been sitting on the shelf for ages , buy a new box; dried pasta has a shelf life of8 to 12 months, and whole-wheat varieties are especially susceptible to rancidity. Also, check that that your oils and vinegars are bright and clean tasting.

意大利面沙拉是最好的served warm or at room temperature within a few hours of assembly. I find that the flavor and texture of a pasta salad suffer if it’s allowed to sit (refrigerated) for more than 3 to 4 hours. The salt, seasonings, and acid in the dressing will draw out the water from the vegetables, which in turn dilutes the flavor of the dressing, which is then absorbed by the pasta. The pasta tends either to break down and become flabby, or toughen and taste overly starchy. A better option is to make the components ahead and assemble them just before serving.

Master Pasta Salad Recipe

Choose ingredients to balance flavors and textures

Your choice of fresh seasonal vegetables, zesty dressings, herbs, cheeses, and other flavors will give a pasta salad its individuality and style. While almost any combination will work, keep in mind familiar and classic combinations-tomatoes and mozzarella, green beans and pesto, spinach, feta, and olives-to guide you. To make your decisions easier, start by choosing either a vinaigrette or a selection of seasonal vegetables, and then add flavors and textures to suit.

Serves 8 to 10

Make your vinaigrette

The acidity of a tangy, herby vinaigrette brightens the starchy pasta and brings the components of the dish together. Choose one of the vinaigrettes here, or use your favorite recipe. Just be sure it has a bright acidity.

Make one of thevinaigrettes(see options below) for your salad. Click the links for full recipes.

Choose one vinaigrette

Pesto Vinaigrette
Lemon-Herb Vinaigrette
Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette

Prep and cook your vegetables

Because pasta is so neutrally flavored, it’s easy company for just about any vegetable. But if you want a truly fresh, seasonal feel to your pasta salad, choose summer vegetables like corn, beans, peas, peppers, and leafy greens. Many vegetables can also go in raw, though others need cooking first. Just remember to cut them all into bite-size pieces.

Put 4 to 6 quarts of salted water in a large pot and set it over high heat. Once it’s hot enough to have dissolved the salt, taste the water-it should taste like sea water. If it doesn’t, add more salt.

Prep your chosenvegetables（请参见下面的选项）根据下面的列表。

If you’ve chosen string beans, asparagus, peas, snap peas, or corn, they’ll need to be pre-cooked.
Because vegetables cook at varying rates, you’ll need to cook each type separately. Drop each vegetable into the boiling water and, after a minute or two, bite into a piece to check doneness—you want them to be cooked through but still crisp-tender. Corn kernels, fresh peas, and asparagus usually take no more than 2 to 3 minutes; green beans might need a little more time. Remove them from the water with a slotted spoon. Don’t pour out the water when you’re finished cooking your vegetables, keep the water on the heat to cook the pasta.

To preserve texture and color, cool the vegetables by spreading them on a baking sheet lined with paper towels, or by running them under cold water and spreading them on clean cotton towels. Blot them dry. This will help to absorb excess moisture, which is crucial because vegetables tend to retain a lot more of their cooking water than pasta.

Cherry or grape tomatoes, halved	Bell peppers, cut into thin matchsticks, 2 to 3 inches long	Baby arugula
Baby spinach	Carrots, cut into thin matchsticks, 2 to 3 inches long	Snow peas, thinly sliced crosswise on the diagonal
Summer squash or zucchini, diced into 1/4-inch pieces	Canned artichoke hearts, rinsed and quartered	Canned chickpeas, rinsed
Cucumbers (seedless), cut into quarter moons	Green or yellow string beans, snapped into 2-inch lengths	Asparagus, cut on the diagonal into 2-inch pieces
Peas, fresh or frozen	Sugar snap peas	Corn kernels, fresh or frozen

Cook the pasta

The amount of pasta in the salad should never exceed 50 percent of the total dish. The greater the proportion of vegetables and proteins, the more the dish will feel like a salad. A pasta shape with some curves or twists works well because it helps catch and hold pieces of vegetable, cheese, and other ingredients. Some shapes to try include roIInl, gemelli, campanel”, shells, and cavatappi, but really any medium-size pasta will do.

Bring the water back to a boil and cook1/2 lb. pasta(see choices below) until just al dente, following the package instructions. Drain it thoroughly by shaking it in a colander and immediately pouring it out onto a rimmed baking sheet. The wide surface area of the baking sheet will encourage the quick evaporation of surface moisture. Toss the pasta with1 Tbs. olive oilto prevent sticking.

Rotini	Gemelli
Campanelle	Pasta shells
Cavatappi

Toss everything together

Boldly flavored ingredients like cheese, fresh herbs, red onion, and briny olives and capers give the salad bursts of flavor and contrasting textures.

Transfer the cooled pasta to a large serving bowl. Add the vegetables to the pasta and toss. Carefully dress the salad with enough of the vinaigrette to moisten the pasta, but be sure not to overdress it.

Add thecheese, if using (see options below), andadd-ins（请参阅下面的选项）然后再次折腾。（betway电子竞技俱乐部刚开始时要明智地添加橄榄和刺山柑，以查看和品尝以检查平衡时）。让沙拉休息10至15分钟，以使口味融合，然后再次品尝沙拉。如有必要，请加入更多的醋，盐和胡椒粉。尽快服务。

Feta cheese: 4 oz., crumbled (1 scant cup)

Goat cheese: 4 oz., crumbled (1/2 cup)

Fresh mozzarella: 8 oz., diced (about 1 cup)

Toasted pine nuts: 2 Tbs., more to taste	Thinly sliced scallions: 3 Tbs., more to taste
切成丁或切成薄片的红洋葱：1/4杯，味道更多	Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley: 2 Tbs; more to taste
Julienned basil: 2 Tbs; more to taste	Chopped fresh dill: 2 Tbs; more to taste
Pitted and slivered olives: 2 Tbs.; more to taste	刺山柑，冲洗：2汤匙。品尝更多