When Making Pasta Salad, Never Add These Ingredients

There are loads of preconceived notions about pasta salad. Many unfortunate memories include tri-colored pasta, canned rings of black olives, and a salad oversaturated with vinegar or offensively creamy dressings. But pasta salads don’t have to be plagued by their reputation.

To reclaim pasta salad’s extraordinary potential, there are several ingredients and techniques to avoid in order to leave mediocre pasta salads behind. Because pasta that is cooked properly with a toothsome bite, brightly blanched vegetables, and plenty of rich olive oil can help upgrade our low standards for pasta salads. When prepared with intention, pasta salads really do have delicious possibilities.

Today, recipes can include vibrant and innovative ingredients, with an abundance of fresh herbs and bold flavors. Sharp cheeses, quality charcuterie, a variety of textures, and a clear vision can make pasta salads, dare we say, elegant. So, swap the cubed orange cheese and artificially flavored bacon bits for freshly shaved Asiago and tangy sun-dried tomatoes and let’s dive in.

To start, few things are worse than mushy pasta, especially in a pasta salad. To avoid overcooking the pasta, taste the pasta as it cooks and when you bite to test and see a very small white dot in the center of the pasta, that means it’s on the verge of being cooked through.

There’s a fine line here, because you do not want the pasta to be too al dente. The starches in pasta become tougher when cooked and cooled, risking a pasta that is difficult to chew. To avoid this, set a timer and add a mere 60 seconds past al dente.

Then, use a sheet pan to cool the pasta and toss it in olive oil for both flavor and to get a nice glisten. This happens to be a hot tip many food stylists use, too. Contrary to popular belief, do not rinse the pasta in cool water. The starch that lingers around the cooked pasta helps the dressing cling to the pasta, marrying the flavors.

The glory of a pasta salad is that it doesn’t have to be served piping hot. In fact, room temperature is often preferred. But food that is not served warm, such as pasta salad, needs even more seasoning – and that starts from the beginning. When cooking pasta, the water should be heavily salted, and the pasta should continue to be seasoned along the way.

A good rule of thumb for any ingredient in pasta salad, including the cheese, is for each bite to be easily speared with a fork. Gooey, soft-ripened cheese like brie or Camembert can lose its integrity when tossed in a pasta salad. Brie is a delightful addition to a cheese plate or melted on a sandwich but will just smear and get lost in a pasta salad. Other cheeses to avoid are pre-cubed cheeses, like cheddar or colby. When covered in oil from a vinaigrette they can become gloopy, and risk perpetuating pasta salad’s unfortunate reputation.

Great pasta salads should have a variety of textures and be bursting with bright flavors. Herbaceous, pungent, and salty. Hard Italian cheeses with low moisture content such as shaved Parmesan, Asiago, or Romano can all be great additions. Sheep’s milk cheeses like a sharp pecorino or a salty feta can add a tanginess, too. A bit of a cliché, but another classic is bocconcini (small mozzarella balls). While fresh mozzarella is indeed a softer cheese, the shape still works well in pasta salads since the balls of cheese can be easily scooped or pierced with a fork.

When looking to add a creamy component to a pasta salad, steer clear of anything in the mayonnaise family, and that includes Miracle Whip. That’s because mayo and Miracle Whip are the marquee ingredients that turn pasta salad into a macaroni salad. A critical distinction, and an entirely different beast.

Both creamy condiments share a polarizing reputation, sparking the old Miracle Whip versus mayo debate again and again. Miracle Whip was created in 1933 as an inexpensive substitute for mayo. It is sweeter than mayo with the third ingredient listed as high fructose corn syrup. Kraft-Heinz deems Miracle Whip a “dressing.”

Loyalties aside, both are at fault for giving us forgettable, bland macaroni salads. Miracle Whip is technically lower in fat than mayo, so even when Miracle Whip is slightly heated, it can separate leaving an undesirable greasy residue. Which of course is less than ideal. Miracle Whip may evoke nostalgia, but leave this dressing for the coleslaw or other retro potluck classics. An excellent pasta salad deserves more than a bland mayo alternative to liven it up.

Raw vegetables have a place at a potluck or gathering, with a colorful crudité or a fresh green salad. A pasta salad, however, is not one of those places. The crunch of an unevenly cut, large, raw broccoli floret can be off-putting and a challenge to eat in the same bite as cooked pasta. The simple solution is to blanch, grill, or roast your vegetables before adding to a pasta salad.

Let’s start with blanching, a preferred route when composing a pasta salad. This technique helps vegetables maintain their snap, while intensifying the vibrant colors and enhancing the flavors. The seemingly complicated technique is actually quite simple. Boil a massive quantity of water with extra salt and cook vegetables for two to four minutes. Please note: The timer doesn’t start until the water returns to a rolling boil. Since pasta salads typically aren’t served immediately, an ice bath after quickly blanching will stop the veggies from cooking and make the vegetable cool enough to handle.

Another tip is to prep veggies in roughly the same size as the rest of the ingredients in the pasta salad to scoop up everything in one easy bite. For an even lower effort option than boiling water, sheet pan salads should be a dinner staple and these roasted veggies are an easy addition to any pasta salad.

No matter the cooking method, do not skimp on the vegetables. Everyone loves a pasta salad that leans towards more add-ins than pasta. And that includes the right types of vegetables.

Tomatoes are a common addition to pasta salads, but large, overripe tomatoes can become watery and log down the dish. Too many seeds, too much juice — it’s honestly why some people hate raw tomatoes. With more than 10,000 varieties , there is no need to settle for a bruised, subpar tomato. Raw tomatoes can and should add a burst of sweetness, and that’s why it is important to opt for cherry or grape tomatoes. Even Roma or plum tomatoes can work well, since they have less water content.

To get an even more concentrated tomato flavor, grab a jar of tart marinated sun-dried tomatoes. When dried, tomatoes become chewy and can lose up to 90% of their water, creating an intense flavor boost without water logging the salad. Another idea is to cook cherry or grape tomatoes in a super hot pan with lots of olive oil for five minutes to make blistered tomatoes. Cook for even a few minutes longer, and the small tomatoes will burst, becoming addictively jammy for an exquisite flavor. 

A ripe, sweet summer tomato is a true delight. But that’s the glory of year-round cherry or grape tomatoes – you can make a stellar pasta salad in all four seasons. After all, pasta salads should not be solely relegated to a barbecues or potlucks.

Part of the allure of pasta salads is their versatility. Bright pesto, briny capers, zesty banana peppers, salty feta can all be swapped for personal preferences. Despite the possibilities, pasta salads should have a clear theme, and they should not be considered a clean-out-the-fridge dish. Not everything goes.

A popular pasta salad rendition is an antipasto pasta salad, but if you go this route, you definitely want to avoid limp, generic deli meat. Cooking with packaged deli meats with low quality ingredients is not only uninspiring, but it’s a big part of what gives pasta salads a bad rap. When dressed, deli meat can become floppy, and frankly, unappetizing. 

It does not mean that all deli meat is necessarily a no-go. In fact, salami is considered a classic addition to a pasta salad, when done right. An artisanal, cured salami is salty and savory and packs a triumphant flavor. Or, venture to try a sliced Spanish sausage, such as chorizo. While pasta salads have so much flexibility with the ingredient list, it is not a time to settle. Choosing the right charcuterie can take the dish up a notch. So leave sad deli meat, along with the mayo, in an old school macaroni salad.

It’s easy to reach for a store-bought Italian dressing, but it can be too artificial tasting, or worse, too sweet or syrupy. It’s absolutely true that some are better than others, with a wide range of the best and worst Italian dressing you can buy at the grocery store. With so many options, it’s best not to even take the risk. Unmemorable deli pasta salads in a grocery store rely on bland Italian dressings, and that is a narrative we’re trying to rewrite.

Fortunately, it’s easy enough to make your own by simply whisking quality olive oil with vinegar and plenty of herbs. Typically, a classic vinaigrette follows the ratio of three parts oil to one part vinegar. Emulsifying the dressing, by fully combining the oil and vinegar, helps the pasta absorb the oil and acid more evenly. The dressing ties the salad together, with the pasta soaking the flavors and seasonings in the vinaigrette as the dish continues to chill in the fridge.

When improving a pasta salad recipe, try using lemon juice to add acidity rather than vinegar to add a lovely balanced brightness. An even more creative interpretation includes incorporating pickle juice to upgrade your favorite pasta salad and take the tanginess to the next level.

Balsamic vinegar is made of grape must — pressed grapes complete with juice, skin, and stems. The vinegar is then aged in wooden barrels to create an extremely dark, and easily stainable, liquid. Unfortunately, commercial balsamic vinegar can often include dyes and additives, that can stain other ingredients and bleed into the noodles. It is a disastrous situation that can cause discoloration in a pasta salad. What’s more, generic balsamic vinegars can leave a metallic aftertaste.

In a well constructed pasta salad, vinegar should play a supporting role in the dressing. Use more olive oil than vinegar and complement the oil with additional flavor boosters like marinated sun-dried tomatoes or artichoke hearts in herby oil or briny Kalamata or buttery Castelvetrano olives. To add acidity and cut the richness of the cheese or cured meats in a pasta salad, remember to up the lemon juice rather than too much vinegar. Lemon juice can also slow oxidation, preventing sliced vegetables from turning brown. Moreover, unlike a dark balsamic, lemon juice will never dye the pasta or add-ins an unsightly brown.

Once the dressing and add-ins are decided upon, it’s time to choose the right pasta shape. Remember, being able to stab or scoop ingredients with a fork is the goal here, so avoid pasta shapes that involve twirling like spaghetti, bucatini, fettucine, or linguine. These long, ribbon-like noodles are best for rich ragus and savory sauces from a carbonara to a Bolognese.

Instead, shorter pastas are easier to incorporate in pasta salads. Think about spiral shapes like rotini or fusilli, or disc-like shapes like shells or orecchiette. Theses shapes also absorb and capture the dressing and add-ins between the nooks, crannies, twists, and turns. A marinated bean, cured Italian sausage, or smaller blanched vegetable can become pillowed inside the shape of the pasta. Pasta salads can be so much more beyond the classic farfalle (bowties), which can get floppy when soaked in dressing. And leave elbows for those mayo laden macaroni salads of the past. For a modern take, try experimenting with tiny pastinas — orzo is popular or a pearled couscous.

Another rule of thumb is to go for dried pastas rather than fresh varieties, since dried pasta is more durable. In addition to being tremendously time consuming to make — pasta from scratch is a true labor of love – fresh pasta can quickly lose its shape and become mushy.

Boxed pasta is a yes, but pre-made, boxed pasta salad mixes is a no. A big part of our negative associations of pasta salad stems from boxed, pre-made pasta salad mixes. These boxes claim convenience, but contain seasonings laden with salt, sugar, and hard to understand ingredients. Think tri-colored rotini, sparsely scattered freeze-dried red peppers, and too many allegedly natural flavors to count. While a pre-made pasta salad box may be marketed as a solid starter kit, do not be fooled. A boxed pasta salad kit is rarely a good template. And anything that is dotted with freeze-dried veggies is a far cry from a dish that will taste bright or fresh.

Despite the long ingredient lists, the result of these mixes is a bland, dry, artificial tasting pasta salad. Dried basil and parsley are hidden among anti-caking agents that do nothing to improve the flavor of a pasta salad. While there are smart ways to use store-bought spice blends, make sure they include just that: spices you understand. The real fatal flaw of pre-made pasta salad boxes is that they lack add-ins, void of any and all texture or crunch.

Making pasta salads ahead of time allows the flavors to meld together and further develop. It’s why steering clear from adding croutons is critical, since they can become unappealing and soggy. If the pasta salad is yearning for crunch, blanch those veggies, fry capers or chickpeas, or add some roasted nuts like almonds or pine nuts. Sautéed halloumi can transform into halloumi croutons, adding wonderful texture without risking getting weighed down by the dressing.

Traditional croutons can become saturated by dressing if they are added to salad too early, or worse, if there is any leftover salad. The once crisp croutons absorb the moisture from the salad and the dressing, ruining the pasta salad. If you absolutely must add traditional bread croutons — which is not advised — add them right before serving to keep the crunch.

Croutons are not always a bad thing for fresh salads. Who doesn’t love a chopped bread salad, like panzanella? But there’s a time and place for a panzanella — and a pasta salad is not it.

In an attempt to reinvent pasta salads, and avoid fatal mistakes, fistfuls of fresh herbs can really brighten the dish. But like croutons, timing is everything. Delicate or tender greens range from mild baby spinach to a more robust, peppery arugula or watercress. These greens are typically used in dishes either raw or wilted, so make sure to add only right before serving to avoid limp, soggy greens. Otherwise, fragile greens will bruise and lose their vibrancy after sitting too long in acidic vinaigrettes.

Fresh herbs can also oxidize when exposed to oxygen. While blanching other the vegetables for the pasta salad, consider giving the basil, baby spinach, or arugula a quick blanch as well. But note for delicate greens, a super quick blanch of anywhere between 30 seconds and two minutes is all you need. Blanching delicate greens is the secret to keep greens like basil extra verdant — not to mention the best way to keep your pesto from going brown.

An abundance of fresh, aromatic herbs and delicate greens are not to be overlooked. They can elevate any pasta salad, and are a surefire way to dodge the gloppy mayo, supermarket deli pasta salads of the past.