Enjoy a pasta salad in under 30 minutes, made from the ingredients you have on hand! Change the flavors and match your food preferences with different proteins, veggies and dressing.
Mix and Match Pasta Salad
Ingredients
(See Notes for ingredient ideas)
1 cup pasta, uncooked (about 2 1/2 cups cooked)
1 ½ cups bite-sized protein
1 ½ cups bite-sized vegetables, fresh, canned or frozen
¼ cup salad dressing
Directions
- Wash hands with soap and water.
- Rinse or scrub fresh produce under cool running water before preparing.
- Cook pasta according to package directions.
- While pasta is cooking, combine protein, vegetables and salad dressing in a large bowl.
- Drain cooked pasta and add to bowl of vegetables. Stir to combine. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Notes
- Ingredient Ideas
Pasta - shapes such as macaroni, bow tie or rotini. Save a half cup of the cooking water in case you want to add moisture at the end.
Protein - any mixture of cooked chicken, beef, pork, seafood, tofu, beans, lentils, cheese, or eggs.
Vegetables - any mixture of fresh, canned or frozen. Cook frozen vegetables according to package directions before adding. Partially cook hard vegetables such as carrots, broccoli and cauliflower. You can also add grated vegetables.
Salad Dressing - use a prepared dressing or try a Food Hero recipe.
- Try adding fresh herbs such as chopped parsley or cilantro for more flavor and color.
- Try adding chopped nuts, seeds, olives or dried fruit for flavor and texture.
You might also like...
Squash Blossom Quesadilla
Squash Blossom Quesadilla
Tortillas filled with tender sautéed squash blossoms and creamy cheese. Make them your own by adding salsa, peppers, cilantro or epazote.
Prepare:
10 minutes
Cook:
15 minutes
Makes:
6 quesadillas
Baked Apple and Cranberries
Baked Apple and Cranberries
Warm apples and cinnamon combined with sweet-tart cranberries make this flavorful low-sugar dessert!
Prepare:
5 minutes
Cook:
5 minutes
Makes:
1 Apple
Black-Eyed Pea Salad
Black-Eyed Pea Salad
You’ll love the fresh flavors, textures and versatility of this salad that features black-eyed peas.
Prepare:
20 minutes
Makes:
6 cups
Citrus Cucumber Flavored Water
Citrus Cucumber Flavored Water
Staying hydrated and cool is easy with this fun flavored water recipe.
Prepare:
5 minutes
Makes:
8 cups
Grape and Cucumber Salad
Grape and Cucumber Salad
A unique and delicious combination of grapes and cucumber, with a homemade vinegar dressing.
Prepare:
15 minutes
Makes:
6 Cups
Celery Stir-Fry
Celery Stir-Fry
This flavorful side dish of tender celery is a quick and simple addition to any meal.
Prepare:
10 minutes
Cook:
15 minutes
Makes:
4 cups
Comments
I made this Mix and Match Pasta Salad today and it is such an easy recipe! I love that you can mix and match different ingredients. I used bell peppers, olives, green onions, celery, cheese cubes, and a dill dressing. The best part is I have leftovers for a quick snack or side dish.
This is a simple and easy pasta salad framework to use up surpluses of veggies from gardens! I used vegetables such as zucchini, cucumber, radish, green onion and tomato. I used whole wheat pasta, low-fat Italian dressing from the store and shredded parmesan cheese.
I think a great combination would be whole wheat pasta, any veggies, Food Hero Honey Mustard, ham cubes, egg and low-fat cheddar cheese cubes! Going to try this combination next.
This pasta salad recipe would be fun to send to friends and family and have everyone suggest different combinations.