Balsamic Vinaigrette Pasta Salad Food

BALSAMIC PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Whisk first 6 ingredients together to prepare the dressing mix, set aside.
• Cook the pasta of your choice.
• While pasta is cooking, chop broccoli and blanch for 2 minutes.
• Combine cooked pasta, blanched broccoli, chopped red pepper and sliced green onion.
• Pour dressing mix on top of pasta mixture; toss to coat.
• Chill until ready to serve.
• **Note: Preparation can be accomplished while pasta is cooking, making this a very quick dish**.

PANCETTA BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Special Equipment: 1 (6 to 8-ounce) decorative jar
• Warm the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly and pour into the decorative jar. Add the balsamic vinegar, rosemary, salt, pepper, and sugar. Put the lid on tightly and shake to combine. Add the extra-virgin olive oil, replace the lid again, and shake to combine.
• When ready to use shake well to combine.
• Cook's Notes: Can be sent as a gift with label and with name of recipe and date made and what to use it for dipping with bread (crostini), for steamed veggies, salad dressing, tossed with cooked pasta, steamed artichoke dip.

SIMPLE BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Beat the vinegar in a bowl with the optional sugar, garlic, salt and pepper until sugar and salt dissolves. Then beat in the oil by droplets, whisking constantly. (Or place all the ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake to combine.) Taste and adjust the seasonings.
• Toss a few tablespoons of the dressing with the salad mix and desired salad ingredients, top with blue cheese and serve immediately.
• If not using dressing right away, cover and refrigerate, whisking or shaking again before use.
• Beat the vinegar in a bowl with the optional sugar, garlic, salt and pepper until sugar and salt dissolves. Then beat in the oil by droplets, whisking constantly. (Or place all the ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake to combine.) Taste and adjust the seasonings.
• Toss a few tablespoons of the dressing with the salad mix and desired salad ingredients, top with blue cheese and serve immediately.
• If not using dressing right away, cover and refrigerate, whisking or shaking again before use.

MEDITERRANEAN PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente; drain, then rinse with cold water to cool.
• Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette: Whisk the vinegar, mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in enough of the oil to make a smooth dressing; season with salt and pepper.
• Combine the sun-dried tomatoes, basil, onion, pepperoncini, olives and oregano in a bowl. Add the cooked pasta, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Add the vinaigrette and both cheeses and toss. Chill until ready to serve.

BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Clean and chop all veggies.
• Boil pasta till al dente.
• Add any veggies that you prefer lightly cooked to boiling pasta in the last 3 minutes of boiling (mine would be asparagus and carrots).
• Drain pasta/veggies and rinse in cold water to stop cooking.
• Add all veggies to pasta and mix.
• Add ham.
• Pour balsamic vinaigrette onto the pasta and mix--you can use less than the whole bottle but I prefer mine "soupy".
• Serve immediately with the Gouda sprinkled over the top.

SIMPLE SALAD WITH BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Toss the greens, salt and pepper together with just enough vinaigrette to coat, about 1/2 cup. Place them in a decorative bowl and top with the grape tomatoes and bell pepper. Serve the remaining vinaigrette on the side.
• Put the shallot and basil into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse until the shallot is finely chopped. Add the balsamic, sugar, salt and pepper and pulse again. With the machine running, add the olive oil in a steady stream through the feed tube. Pour the vinaigrette into a small bowl and serve.

BALSAMIC VINEGAR PASTA

Steps:

• Place hot pasta in a large bowl; stir in the green onions.
• Mix the mustard, parsley, basil, and black pepper into the vinegar.
• Whisk the olive oil into the balsamic vinegar mixture.
• Pour over pasta and mix well.
• Serve, or cover and chill up to next day.

OUR FAVORITE BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, shallot, garlic, salt, and black pepper together in a glass jar with a lid. Replace lid on the jar and shake vigorously until thoroughly combined.

QUICK PENNE PASTA SALAD WITH BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Chop fresh basil for garnish, if desired.
• In large bowl, toss pasta, tomatoes and vinaigrette. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerated until serving.

BASIL AND BALSAMIC PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Boil the pasta until al dente. Strain and rinse with cold water immediately to stop from continued cooking.
• Once pasta is fulled cooled (as in cold), pour pasta into a large mixing bowl. Add the entire bottle of dressing, the mozzarella chopped into about 1/2 inch cubes, basil, red bell pepper, cherry tomatoes and green onions. Mix together and taste. Add ground black pepper and kosher salt to taste. You'll probably only need very little if any salt. It depends on the brand of dressing you buy.
• Let sit in the fridge at least 2 hours. Fold in parmigiano cheese, cucumber and chopped avocado right before you serve.

PASTA SALAD WITH TUNA, CAPERS & BALSAMIC DRESSING

Steps:

• Cook the pasta following pack instructions, then drain and rinse in cold water. After draining again, transfer to a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients except the basil, season well, and toss to combine. Scatter with basil and serve.

GREEK STYLE ORZO SALAD WITH BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Combine vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
• Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a medium-size bowl.
• While pasta is still hot, stir in the rest of salad ingredients and dressing to taste.
• Salad is good immediately while still warm, or also chilled or at room temperature.