Fresh Herb Pasta Salad Food

FRUITY PASTA SALAD WITH HERBS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; cook rotini at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Mix apples, figs, onion, basil, black olives, mint, and garlic together in a large bowl.
• Whisk mayonnaise, Pecorino Romano cheese, sour cream, sugar, vinegar, lime zest and juice, salt, and pepper together in a separate bowl.
• Add cooked rotini to apple mixture, stir, and pour dressing on top. Mix well and refrigerate, covered, for at least 30 minutes. Serve chilled.

HERBED PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Drain and rinse pasta under cold water; leave in colander and set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat oil and garlic over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until garlic is fragrant and sizzling, about 1 minute. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes.
• Pour garlic oil through a sieve into a large bowl; discard garlic. Add pasta and herbs to oil. Season generously with salt and pepper; toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, chilled or at room temperature.

FRESH HERB PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Edible flowers, for garnish
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add haricots verts and cook until crisp tender, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the haricots verts to a bowl of ice water to stop them from cooking.
• Return the pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta and let cool.
• In a large serving bowl, combine all ingredients, except edible flowers. Toss until ingredients are thoroughly coated with dressing.
• Garnish with edible flowers and serve cold or at room temperature.

PASTA SALAD WITH ASPARAGUS AND FRESH HERBS

Steps:

• Cook asparagus in a 6-8 quart pot of boiling, salted water until tender, about 4-6 minutes. Remove asparagus to large bowl. Using same water, cook peas 2 minutes. Remove and add to asparagus. Then add pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente.
• While pasta cooks pulse basil and other herbs, oil, salt and pepper and 1/2 cup feta in a food processor until chopped, then add to vegetables.
• Drain pasta. Mix together pasta and vegetable mixture. Then add parsley, scallions and remaining 1/2 cup feta and toss.

DOUBLE-TOMATO PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Holding back the sun-dried tomatoes with your fingers, drain the oil from the jar into a large pot. Coarsely chop the sun-dried tomatoes and add them to the pot, along with the nuts and olive oil. Set over medium-low and cook, stirring often, until the nuts are toasted, 5 to 6 minutes. Scrape into a large bowl (reserve the pot), then stir in the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
• Fill the reserved pot with water (no need to wash) and bring to a boil. Season water with salt, add the pasta and cook until just past al dente. (The pasta will not cook further in the sauce.) Drain the pasta.
• While the water is coming to a boil, coarsely chop the ripe tomatoes. Add to the sun-dried tomato mixture, season with 1 teaspoon salt and stir to combine. (Tomato mixture can be made up to 2 hours ahead.)
• Add the drained pasta to the tomato mixture and stir to combine. Let sit until room temperature, about 15 minutes or up to 2 hours. Pasta salad will keep up to 3 days if refrigerated.
• When ready to eat, taste the pasta salad. If flavors are muted, add salt and lemon juice or red wine vinegar. If it's too sweet, add black pepper and lemon juice or red wine vinegar. Stir in the greens and eat.

PASTA SALAD WITH CREAMY HERB DRESSING

Steps:

• To make dressing: Combine milk, mayonnaise, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper, stirring until smooth. Stir in finely chopped herbs. Gradually whisk in vinegar. Let stand for 10 minutes or until pasta is ready.
• To make salad: In large pot of boiling water, cook fusilli according to package. Drain pasta and rinse under running cold water until cool. In large bowl, combine pasta, veggies and dressing. Toss to coat and sprinkle with green onions. Allow to cool in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.