jay wrote:
>
>>I have to attend an event that requires me to bring a meatless dish
>>for 5 people. I'd like to make a pasta salad but have never made one
>>(yeah, yeah, so I'm not the world's best cook) Does anyone have a
>>tasty recipe?? Thanks so much!!


The trick to a good vegetarian pasta salad is getting the proportions of
pasta to vegetable right. By volume, that's by looking at the amounts,
not by weighing them, you want about half cooked pasta and half
vegetables. I recommend boiling the pasta first, putting in a bowl to
cool, then slicing the vegetables. After that, nearly anything goes.


You say you're not the world's most experienced cook so I'm getting
basic here. I'm not trying to insult your intelligence; I'm just
figuring that it is better to say something you already know than leave
out something you don't.


Vegetables might include:


bell pepper slices, red, yellow, and/or green
broccoli florets
carrots, grated
cilantro
cherry or grape tomatoes
dill
parsley
scallions
snow peas
zucchini slices
any other vegetable except starchy ones like potatoes or sweet potatoes
(There's enough starch in the pasta.) Also, leave out the usual salad
greens like lettuce.


You don't need all of them. Just go to the supermarket and get what
appeals.


Now fill the bowl with vegetables that are appropriately cleaned,
seeded, and chopped. You might want to boil the broccoli for a few
seconds before putting it in. The rest are good raw.


For a dressing, go ahead and buy a bottled one. That's acceptable for a
beginner. The important point is to dress it at the last minute.
Vinegar turns green vegetables a nasty grey-brown color. So you bring
the pasta and vegetables in one bowl. You bring the dressing in the
bottle. Just before serving, you shake up the dressing, pour it on the
salad and stir.


If you want to make your own dressing, you want about 1 part vinegar
(balsamic, cider, rice wine, you choose) to 2 parts oil (olive, a little
(not all) toasted sesame, corn oil, you choose). Then you dress it up
with brown mustard, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, dried Italian herbs.
Again, you don't need all of those, just choose a few, and taste as you go.


--Lia