Perfect Potluck Solution – Pasta Salad
Has this ever happened to you? You forgot about a potluck you were invited to this evening and realize you don’t have a dish to bring. Not only that, but you’re supposed to be there in an hour. What should you do?
You have three options: 1) Don’t go, and miss out on a really fun time. 2) Show up empty-handed and explain red-faced that you forgot. 3) Grab a casserole dish, head to the deli and pass something off as Grandma’s secret recipe.
Since none of those options really appeal to you, I think I have a solution; pasta salad! By keeping a few ingredients on hand at all times, you can easily throw together a tasty treat in virtually minutes. Starting with pasta and salad dressing, you can build yourself a dish that will suit any potluck. Let’s get started.
Standard pastas like penne, shell, rotini, and even macaroni noodles will make a fine pasta salad once you add your personal touch. If you have a lot of partially full boxes of different pastas, just mix them together. Be sure to cook similarly sized pastas together. If you’re cooking penne with angel hair pasta, you’ll run into trouble because the cooking time is different. You would want to cook these types of pasta in separate pots.
Don’t fret too much about the dressing. If you have Italian or Ranch Style dressing on hand, you have it handled. You can actually mix the two together so you get a nice oily finish to the pasta salad as well as the creamy texture. If you’re ambitious you can whisk together a few ingredients like oil, white wine vinegar, honey, mustard, or whatever flavors you like together. Throw in some herbs and you’re done.
Now that you’ve picked out your pasta and dressing, you need to cook your pasta. Just cook according to the instructions on the package and drain well. Before the pasta cools down, dump it into a large bowl and pour your dressing over and toss gently. You want to add the dressing while the pasta is warm so the flavors intensify and stick to the pasta. Don’t drown your pasta in dressing. Add, taste, add, taste, etc. You may even add more after the other ingredients are added.
It’s time for your creative cooking to take over. Take a peek in your cupboards and refrigerator and start pulling out food that looks good to you. If you have any cheese, tomatoes, frozen peas, chickpeas, olives, onion, or even artichokes in a jar, throw it in. Give it a taste, and keep adding until you’re satisfied. Don’t forget the sunflower seeds in the back of the fridge and those croutons, too.
Add leftover chicken or open a can of tuna if you like. The trick is to taste as you go. Just take a little pasta and dressing mixture out of the big bowl and put it into a little bowl. Add your ingredients, a little at a time, and taste as you go. Once you’re satisfied put it all together in the big serving bowl, slip on a cover, and you are good to go!
Forgotten about a potluck tonight? No problem! All it takes is a few simple ingredients and a little imagination and you’ll have a delicious pasta salad ready to save the day!
Are you a mom who’d rather play than cook? If so, you won’t want to miss FreeQuickRecipes.com where youll find frugal recipe tips for mothers and others.
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