pasta salad

leonie_2

Just wondering what are everyone's favourite pasta and rice salad recipes now that its scorching outside.

My kids love plain boiled rice, cooked with sweetcorn/peas and a red pepper, cooled in the fridge and some turmeric thrown over for colour.

I cant find a good pasta salad recipe they like, so anyone up for sharing a recipe?

susank

I boil up fuscilli (sp) usually tricolour one and drain it. I take a value tin of plum tomatoes, a piece of celery and a little bit of onion and blitz it up in processor. I then tip half of this on to my pasta - depends how much you make. I then open a jar of pasta pesto sauce (red one from Tesco is fine) and use half of this one - mix together and cool in fridge till needed. Needs a long time to cool down so usually make in the morning. I then freeze half of the blitzed up tomatoes and half the jar of pasta pesto in a small container in freezer for the next time. When cool I usually just add about 1 teasp of olive oil and mix through and its fab.

BrokeBrunette

our favourite pasta salad is fairly boring but the kids love it!

I use the multi-coloured fusilli, ham, cheese, onion, vinegar, dash of salt and pepper and olive oil.

Cook the pasta - in the meantime put some olive oil and vinegar in a bowl. Give it a mix with the salt and pepper to taste. Chop some onion and add this to the liquid. Slice up some ham and cut cheese into small cubes. Add cooled pasta and give it a stir, to coat with the oil and vinegar. Then add the ham and cheese and give it another stir. Put in fridge and serve whenever you are ready. I always cook some part-bakes and we have warm, crusty bread baguette with it - totally delicious, in fact I might have to make some of it for us tomorrow

I haven't put any quantities as it's really up to you how much you want to make. I tend to add quite a bit of ham if its for a main meal but you can use as much or as little as you like. The multi-coloured pasta makes it look nicer than the plain white but again either can be used.

Mishy

Have you tried couscous has well because that is a good alternative to rice and pasta.

What I tend to do is get a pepper, mushrooms, cheese, salami and cucumber. Dice it all up and mix it with either pasta, rice or couscous and put some tomato relish in with it.

It's quick and easy and children love it.

leonie_2

These all sound brilliant, thank you!

No I haven't tried cous cous, its one of those ingredients that I never seem to know what to use!

Today I think i'm going to go with the tomato pasta type, i'll serve it chilled so I better get a move on!

julesgr

I use any pasta, add some mixed veg, add a tin of tuna, some mayonnaise a smidgen of tomato sauce a splash of worcester sauce and a tin of kidney beans , mix and serve ...scrummey:D

Mishy

couscous is easy to you just need to boil a kettle, add an oxo (any flavour) to the couscous in a bowl and its done just mix it around

quick and easy

Katgoddess

I love Tuna Napolitana served cold as a salad but I use the packet from Schwartz and add a small tin of sweetcorn to the ingredients.

I've never liked any pasta salad recipe that has vinegar in it especially as a kid. I just prefer cold pasta.

I've found a proper Napolitana sauce recipe here.

hattie_pea

you can also use bulgar wheat instead of cous cous - not sure how it varies in price but is slightly better for you in terms of wholegrain goodness and cooks the xact same way

moggins

Chicken rice salad

2 mugs of rice, one chopped onion, 2 tspns curry powder and enough mayonnaise to moisten and the remainders from a rubber chicken.

Mix together and chill for a little while.