By volume, you want half pasta and half vegetables.

The pasta is shells or twists, like rotini.

The vegetables are broccoli, snow peas, scallions, carrots, celery
and/or cabbage. (Dunk the broccoli, cabbage and snow peas in boiling
water briefly so they're not entirely raw.)

Throw in a bunch of chopped parsley and/or cilantro.

The dressing should be added at the very last minute. It consists of 2
parts cider vinegar, 2 parts bland oil such as all-purpose vegetable oil
or peanut oil and 1 part tamari (or soy sauce or shoyu). Also add
golden mustard, a little sesame oil, garlic, grated fresh ginger and
toasted sesame seeds. Mix well so the mustard doesn't sit in a lump.
Then pour over the combined pasta and vegetables.

Sorry, I don't do amounts.

--Lia





Cate wrote:
> Husband's office staff (half of whom are college or grad students) is coming
> for a Christmas party at our house this Sunday afternoon. Tiny house, staff
> of 15, nowhere for them all to sit, so all the food must be finger food or
> easily eaten with a fork while standing.
>
> There's one known vegetarian in the bunch (possibly more we don't know
> about), and I'm trying to balance meaty and meatless dishes. I have limited
> time this weekend to cook, so I'm hoping to make some things of time and
> freeze it. The final menu isn't yet set, so I'm open to suggestions.
>
> But my main request is that I'm looking for a meatless pasta or rice salad
> (ie., cold) recipe that's not the standard macaroni primavera and mayo-based
> dressing. Something that can hold up unrefrigerated for three hours is
> required. Any combo of chewy, crunchy, tangy, sweet, spicy is even better.
> And anything that cuts down my cooking time would be great too.
>
> Any ideas?
>
> Thanks,
> Cate
>
>