Lettuce may be the star of most salads, but it doesn't always hold up well. After an extended period of time, green wilt and become soggy. If you want a more substantial, longer-lasting base for your salad, use pasta instead. Pasta is firm enough to withstand a variety of added ingredients and dressings, and it stays fresh longer, so you can make large batches without wasting the leftovers.
Ingredients
Choose a short, tubed pasta, such as macaroni or penne, or cavatappi (spirals). These types of pastas will hold more of the salad dressing in their ridges and center holes. They are also easier to serve with a spoon than longer, thinner pastas. The dressing ingredients will depend on your taste preference as well as how you will be serving the salad. For a richer dressing, use mayonnaise as your base; however, make sure you will be serving it immediately. If mayonnaise sits out at room temperature for long periods of time, such as for a picnic or buffet, it can spoil. For these occasions, use a premade vinaigrette dressing, or mix together olive oil, vinegar, mustard and seasonings. A basic ratio for vinaigrette is 6 tbsp. oil, 2 tbsp. vinegar and 1/2 tsp. mustard. Use hearty vegetables that can hold up over an extended period of time, such as chopped peppers, onions and celery.
Preparation
Set aside enough time to cook the pasta and cool it to room temperature before assembling the salad. Since the pasta will not be covered with a thick sauce, it needs to be seasoned properly or the whole salad will be bland. Add a small handful of salt to the water you use to boil the pasta. If you try to season it afterward, the salt will not adhere to the pasta. Boil the pasta according to the package instructions, but sample a piece about two minutes before the estimated cooking time to prevent overcooking it. The pasta should be soft but still have a chewy bite to it. If you overcook it, the pasta will be mushy. Once the pasta is properly prepared, wait until it has cooled before tossing it with your dressing and other salad ingredients.
Storage
You can serve pasta salad warm, but it is more often chilled before serving. The added chill time gives the flavors of the pasta, dressing and vegetables time to blend together and develop a deeper taste. Cover the top of your serving bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you're ready to serve it. The salad will be most flavorful if it's chilled for a minimum of two hours before serving. Transfer any leftover pasta salad to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. It should keep its firm texture for about three days.
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