Grow Your Own Magazine

I am after some tried and tested recipes for home made pasta salad. Preferably tomato sause, cheese or mayo based ones using spiral or shell shaped pasta.

My attempt at the weekend was very tasty but a bit thick and stuck to the serving spoon like poo to a blanket.

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Kindest regards, David.

http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/
updated - Sunday 19th at 2100hrs

Try this

pasta, mayo, chopped spring onion, small pieces of red pepper, small chunks of cucumber, sweetcorn, grated cheese (not too much though), paprika and ground pepper.

Don't use too much mayo, only enough to coat the other ingredients.

You might like this one Piglet. Works well in this house. You know how to do things so I'll just give you the ingredients.

Pasta salad with smoked fish, apple and fruit.

For 1lb of cooked pasta shells or spirals

mix together
6 tablespoons thick youghurt
2 tablespoons mayonaise
2 or 3 teaspoons lemon juice (to get the consistency right)

To this mixture add
8 oz smoked mackerel fillet ( or smoked salmon or trout if you feel rich)
1 diced avocado pear ( or cubed melon, or mango or some grapes)
2 apples (peeled, cored and diced)
6 spring onions - chopped as you like them
Ground black pepper to taste
A few dill seeds (optional)

Mix together gently to avoid smashing the fish
LASTLY
Add the pasta to the mixture, some at a time, till you are happy you have the consistency right. (Throw away the last spoonfull of pasta if it is too much is what I am saying)

Chill and serve as you like it.
I like it served in a big chinese leaf, sprinkled with a little chopped fresh herb of choice. Dill goes well.

Hope it works well for you.

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From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

I love Pasta salads & Bean Salads too with a nice vinigrette.

A quick on to make

Cold cooke pasta
Tin of sweetcorn
Cold cooked petitpois
grated raw Carrot
fine ish chopped raw onion
some choped herbs either Mint or Chives goes well

few dollops of Hellmans

takes seconds to make but the impression lasts a liftime

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ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

Delia does a lovely risotto with homemade pesto. I use a jar and pasta, and this is good cold.Easy , with extra parmesan on top.

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A Bientot
Jerseybean

Guess what we are having for dinner tomorrow! Very impressed with the smoked fish one Alice. Sounds lovely. I have never tried cold pasta.

Cooked pasta
Tin of drained tuna or salmon
Tin of drained sweetcorn
Salt, pepper
Couple of spoons of mayo to lightly cover pasta.

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Belgrave-allotments.co.uk

This is from Jamie Oliver - the chap I blame for getting me into cooking!

310g small pasta shells
3 cloves garlic, peeled
255g yellow cherry tomatoes
255g red cherry tomatoes
1 handful black olives, pitted
2 tblsp fresh chives
1 handful fresh basil
1/2 cucumber
4 tbslp white wine vinegar or to taste
7 tblsp extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
black pepper freshly ground

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and the garlic simmer for 5 minutes or until pasta al dente and drain. Put garlic aside. Put pasta in a bowl. Chop tomatoes, olives, chives, basil and cucumber into pieces and add to the bowl. Squash the garlic out of the skins and mash well. Add to bowl, add vinegar, oil and seasoning and drizzle this over the salad.

Bernie aka Dexterdog

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

Oh Alice, that sounds fantastic! And I'm just 'guessing' that the recipe would work superbly with some smoked chicken, when you fancied a change from smoked fish. What do you think??

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With Love,
Wellie

Give it some....

http://hollycottagegarden.blogspot.com
BLOG UPDATED Sunday 2nd November at 19.30hrs

Smoked chicken sounds nice Wellie. OH doesn't like fish. So I'm on the trail for that tomorrow!

Thank you all, keep them coming.

__________________
Kindest regards, David.

http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/
updated - Sunday 19th at 2100hrs

pigletwillie, try,
pasta
mayo mixed with ketchup, half/half, add worcester sauce with it,
add any fish, salmon or tuna maybe or prawns
and any salad vegetable.
OR
Pasta,
diced chicken,
mayonaise,
and grapes.

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Best Wishes
Happy Growing
blue-and-green

http://blue-and-green.blogspot.com/

Pasta
Witloof chicory chicons cut into 1cm wide slices crossways
Mayo mixed with dollop of tomato puree or ketchup
cayenne pepper or herbs to taste

I've found adding dressings to warm pasta makes the salad claggy, so wait until it's cooled before mixing ingredients. It sometimes also helps to rinse pasta in cold water and drain well before using.

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All at once I hear your voice
And time just slips away
Bonnie Rait

I like 'Prawn, pasta & avocado' salad.
Peel & thinly slice an avocado & drizzle with lemon juice to stop it browning.Cook required quantity of pasta shells, rinse & cool.Rinse some prawns (quantity depends on how many you are serving).Mix together a couple of tablespoons of virgin olive oil with a splash of wine vinegar & salt & pepper to taste.Mix everything together & add a couple of spoonfuls of mayo if you prefer a creamy texture. Serve with chunks of French bread & a side salad, lovely!

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Into every life a little rain must fall.

Thanks for that SueA. Sounds good to me.

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From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

Definately going to give that a try Sue!
Thanks
Bernie aka Dexterdog

__________________
Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

This is about the best advice here. Took me years to work that out

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Blogging Again at..
http://www.wizer.co.uk

Hi - i've just joined the forum for the first time!! Pasta - wot about mixing sauteed mushrooms into the pasta and mixing it with pesto mmmmm thats nice!

Hi spenielshouse, welcome to the grapevine! I'll go with your suggestion - I could eat pesto with anything! (Well maybe not cornflakes!)

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Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson

www.vegheaven.blogspot.com

Updated November 30th - Mr Stinky's Excellent Adventure (and a Christmas Cake)

I make this one for picnics and potlucks:

Pesto Pasta Salad

12 to 16 oz. tri-color spiral pasta
-cook until al dente, rinse and drain in cold water to stop cooking
and to cool
1 or 2 cans (15 oz. each) black olives
-quartered or cut into round slices
8 oz. Pepper Jack cheese (Monteray Jack with Jalapeno Peppers)
-can substitute feta, cheddar, etc.
1 medium red onion (about 3” in diameter)
-cut in half or quartered and slice thinly
1 bottle Newman’s Original Italian Dressing
basil pesto to taste - 1 cup will probably do it - pesto is optional

Combine ingredients in a large bowl and lightly toss.
Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
Toss again before serving.

Welcome to the vine WSO - I'm salivating reading that!

__________________
Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson

www.vegheaven.blogspot.com

Updated November 30th - Mr Stinky's Excellent Adventure (and a Christmas Cake)

I have lots of recipes. What are looking for?

Hiya PW

My friend makes a pasta salad with tiny chunks of cheese, pieces of smoked sausage or ham and diced gherkins - I love it, though it's very German (just like her!)

The fab tip she gave me is that to make a lighter mayonnaise 'sauce' she mixes equal amounts of light mayonnaise, natural yogurt and white vinegar (she uses the vinegar out of the gherkin jar!).

I use that mayonnaise base with slightly less vinegar and with all sorts of things thrown in for all my pasta salads - it's yummy

Hi all

This is the first post I've felt able to comment on - the veg-growing thing is still very new to me, but cooking I'm a little more used to!

I do a pasta salad that's very easy to do in bulk (I always end up doing it for parties, weddings etc).

I basicly take whatever veg I have (cucumber, cherry toms, peppers, sweetcorn and peas are the best - but anything works) and chop it fairly fine (in a food processor if I'm doing lots).

My trick with the sauce is to use olive oil along with the mayo to lighten it and as much green pesto as you can cram in there. A couple of handfuls of grated fresh parmesan work really well too.

Lots of fresh ground pepper and some chilli flakes give it a bit of a kick.

I