Kitchen Sink Pasta Salad Recipes

Steps:

• To make the dressing:
• In a blender combine all ingredients except olive oil. Pulse several times until well combined. Once combined, turn machine on and slowly add in olive oil. Chill until ready to use.
• To prepare the salad:
• In a medium fry pan over medium heat, cook the pancetta until crispy. Remove to paper-towel lined plate to drain and cool. Clean out pan with paper towel and in same pan over medium heat, lightly toast the pine nuts. Remove to a plate and set aside to cool. Wash and dry greens, place in refrigerator to chill 10 to 15 minutes. Also chill individual salad plates or a platter if serving salad family-style.
• When ready to serve, in a large bowl toss together salad greens, cucumber and tomato with just enough dressing to lightly coat salad. Place salad on chilled individual plates or platter. Dress top of salad with pancetta, pine nuts, olives, Gorgonzola and freshly cracked black pepper. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place pasta in the pot, cook for 8 to 12 minutes, until al dente, and drain.
• In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta with the Italian dressing, cucumbers, tomatoes, and green onions. In a small bowl, mix the Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning, and gently mix into the salad. Cover, and refrigerate until serving.

Steps:

• Cook pasta al dente.
• Dice up mozzarella, artichoke hearts and sun dried tomatoes (i like to use kitchen shears for the sun dried toms).
• Toss cooled pasta (don't want to melt the cheese or maybe you do!) with all the other ingredients.
• Pour reserved sun dried tomato oil (use whatever you need to get it saucy), chipotle sauce (use whatever you desire for spiciness) over pasta, salt and pepper and toss to coat.
• If you can't find the chipotle garnishing sauce (I can't remember where I found mine and it is almost out!) just use some diced up, about 2, chipotles in adobo sauce or just the adobo sauce and add some mayo, about 1/4 cup to make it creamy and you should be fine. I'm all about shortcuts tho so i hope i can find more!
• Refrigerate for a couple hours, but I like overnight.
• Add chopped up spinach before serving at room temperature.
• Oh and don't forget the salt.i feel that salt really makes the flavors of the chipotles come alive!

Steps:

• Boil pasta according to box directions. Drain & Cool.
• Wash all vegetables & prepare as noted above.
• Run cold water over frozen peas to thaw.
• Layer: lettuce, yellow/orange pepper, green pepper, pasta, peas, corn, cucumber, tomatoes.
• Serve with your favorite dressing - poppy seed is especially good on this salad.

Steps:

• Mix the dressing in a non metallic bowl and set in fridge for 1 hour. Mix remaining ingredients in a large salad bowl.