Seven Layer Holiday Pasta Salad Recipes

Steps:

• Cook and drain pasta as directed on package. Place broccoli in boiling water. Cover and cook 1 minute; drain. Immediately rinse with cold water; drain.
• While pasta is cooking, layer tomatoes, broccoli, bell pepper and onion in 2-quart glass serving bowl.
• In medium bowl, mix mayonnaise, yogurt, sugar and curry powder. Stir in pasta. Layer pasta evenly over onion in serving bowl.
• Sprinkle with cheese. Top with bacon bits and parsley. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours before serving but no longer than 24 hours.

Steps:

• Layer lettuce, cucumber, peas, Cheddar cheese, and egg, respectively, in a 9x13-inch casserole dish.
• Whisk creamy salad dressing, sugar, and vinegar together in a bowl until dressing is smooth; spread over the egg layer. Crumble bacon over dressing layer.

Steps:

• Cook and drain pasta as directed on package. Place broccoli in boiling water. Cover and cook 1 minute; drain. Immediately rinse with cold water; drain. While pasta is cooking, layer tomatoes, broccoli, bell pepper and onion in 2-quart glass serving bowl. 3In medium bowl, mix mayonnaise, yogurt, sugar and curry powder. Stir in pasta. Layer pasta evenly over onion in serving bowl. Sprinkle with cheese. Top with bacon bits and parsley. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours before serving but no longer than 24 hours.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente (about 2 minutes less than the label directs), adding the broccoli during the last 4 minutes of cooking. Drain the pasta and broccoli and rinse under cool water; shake off the excess. Remove the broccoli and pat dry.
• Whisk the mayonnaise, buttermilk, 1/4 cup chives, the parsley, half of the lime juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Toss the pasta and a few tablespoons of the dressing in a medium bowl.
• Assemble the salad: Toss the avocados with the remaining lime juice in a large glass serving bowl and season with salt; arrange in an even layer. Top with layers of the ham, broccoli, pasta, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes. Drizzle some of the remaining dressing on top and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon chives, or cover and refrigerate the salad and dressing separately up to 6 hours. (Bring to room temperature before serving.)

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with cold water. Drop the broccoli into the boiling water and cook until crisp-tender and bright green, about 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and plunge into the cold water to stop the cooking. Let sit until cool, then drain and set aside.
• Return the water in the pot to a boil and cook the rigatoni according to the package directions for al dente. Drain in a colander and transfer to a large bowl. Toss the pasta with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to coat evenly and refrigerate until cooled completely, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the remaining 1/3 cup olive oil to a blender with the spinach, Parmesan, almonds, basil, lemon juice, chives and 1/4 cup water and puree until completely smooth. Pour the pesto over top of the pasta and add the reserved broccoli, red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella, vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt. Toss gently until well combined. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with more chopped chives. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 4 hours.

Steps:

• Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Crumble and set aside.
• In a large flat bowl, place the chopped lettuce and top with a layer of onion, peas, shredded cheese, cauliflower and bacon.
• Prepare the dressing by whisking together the mayonnaise, sugar and Parmesan cheese. Drizzle over salad and refrigerate until chilled.

Steps:

• Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain, and rinse under cold water to cool.
• Place the carrots in an even layer in the bottom of a large glass bowl, preferably one that is roughly the same diameter from top to bottom. Place the lettuce in a layer over the carrots. Combine the cucumber, peas and corn; spread in a layer over the lettuce. Once the pasta is cooled and drained, then spread that out over the top.
• In a smaller bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, brown sugar, curry powder, and garlic salt. Spread this carefully over the pasta. Top with shredded Cheddar cheese. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.