Tuesday, June 3, 2008

A cry for help

This post is completely self serving as I desperately need a good pasta salad recipe that does not include Mayo in the list of ingredients. I happen to love a good mayo pasta salad but the FH and his family do not like the Mayo and as they are coming for picnic on Friday I need a pasta salad sans the mayo.

Anyone? Please? Help?

I have considered MAKING the mayo...you know from scratch and naming it something other then Mayo to get around this but it seems that mayo is as mayo does and it a mayo by any other name is in fact still....Mayo.

I am in your hands.

17 comments:

Kelly said...

How about the easy, simple standby?

http://kellycooksandotheramazingfeats.blogspot.com/2008/05/easiest-pasta-salad-ever.html

Rob said...

In smaller quantities, you can sometimes substitute ranch dressing for mayo. Or maybe plain yogurt?

Kristi @ Mi Vida Ocupada said...

My favorite pasta salad has Italian dressing and is so yummy! Pasta, onions, red and green peppers, pepperoni, olive

LoriD said...

An easy greek pasta salad:

Penne pasta, cooked & drained
Feta cheese, crumbled
Cucumbers, cubed
Tomatoes, seeded and cut into bite-sized pieces
Kalamata olives (I use the ones that are already pitted and sliced)
Kraft Greek & Feta salad dressing

It's always a big hit at potlucks.

jenny said...

yeah, i like the italian pasta salad with italian dressing, veggies, rainbow colored spiral noodles or whatever. never made it but i LOVE it!

AndreAnna said...

What about a cold tortellini salad with italian dressing, roasted red peppers, parmesan, and cubed cheddar? It always goes over well here.

Anonymous said...

I am glad I read Andreanna's comment before i submitted mine! I was going to say the same thing. I buy bulk bags of dried tortellini in an Italian grocery store and it has become my go-to potluck recipe. Tortellini, grape tomatoes, diced green and red peppers and diced spring onions with Italian dressing. use more dressing than you think you need because the pasta will absorb it. In fact often dress it when I make it, and then add more and stir again right before I serve it.

Robyn said...

I have 2 -- equally good.

(1) Use tri-color rotini, boil until al dente. Add chopped tomatoes, cucumbers and black olives. Toss, while still warm, with Good Seasons Italian dressing (I use almost the whole cruet) Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

(2) Boil cheese tortellini until al dente. Largely chop ham or proscuitto, artichoke hearts, black olives, cherry tomatoes and pour a champagne vinagrette over (can also use Italian dressing). Top with fresh basil and grated parm cheese -- can be served warm or room temp. It's like an antipasto.

Elizabeth said...

I make the tortellini one all the time and everyone loves it. Just use cooked tri colored tortellini, and add whatever you want (olives, cut up turkey pepperoni, cut up string cheese, steamed zuchini, cherry tomatoes,peas, whatever) and then dump on some italian dressing and refrigerate. The pasta sucks up the dressing so you may want to add more, and then throw some parm on the top at the last minute. Yummers!
Another very delicious one is cooked short pasta, whatever kind you want, cut up mangoes, roasted red peppers, fresh mozz, cut up tomatoes, and fresh basil. Mix together with olive oil, some balsamic, and salt and pepper. Holy cow is that one good.

Sarah Lena said...

Yeah, I am no help. I just wanted to say..

PEOPLE DON'T LIKE MAYO?! WTF?!

Kristin.... said...

I have a Pizza Pasta Salad recipe by Rachael Ray that is a huge hit here~has fresh mozzarella and basil. It's awesome. Let me know if you want it and I'll send it along.

Stephany said...

I take this to every cookout and it's a hit.

1 lb. tri color rotini cooked and cooled.
1 can artichoke hearts drained and diced up
1 can drained olives sliced
1 can chick peas drained
1 english cucumber diced
2 carrots diced
2 - 3 celery stalks diced
1/4 cup or more of cheese - feta or goat
1 package grape tomatoes cleaned
2-3 green onions chopped
fresh basil torn (can also use chives or other herb)

For the dressing you can either use a bottled italian dressing or a vinegar and oil.

But i like to make my own.

mix about a quarter to half a cut of good olive oil, a few T of good balsamic vinegar, fresh garlic minced, salt, pepper, a little lemon juice and a touch of dijon mustard all mixed together and toss.

Carolyn said...

I've made pounds of this pasta salad for my daughter's volleyball team. My kids love it, and if you have kids you know how hard it is to make something that everybody likes.

Determine quantities based on your own needs.

-tricolor rotini pasta
-cheddar cheese cubes
-1 turkey sausage (I think I use the Butterball version. I don't like the Healthy Choice version)
-1 red pepper, 1 yellow pepper
-carrots
-Paul Newman's Italian Dressing (expensive, but I've tried other Italian dressings and I like this brand the best.)
-Morton's Natures Seasons Seasoning Blend

Cook the pasta and then cool. Cut everything into bite-size pieces, mix it all together, add dressing and seasoning salt to taste. Don't add the dressing too soon before the salad is going to be eaten because the pasta absorbs it and then it gets too dry.

Multi-tasking Mommy said...

I posted my favourite veggie and pasta salad recipe over at my place for you!

http://multi-taskingmommy.blogspot.com/2008/06/marinated-veggie-and-pasta-salad.html

Anonymous said...

I've heard you can substitute plain lowfat yogurt for mayo but I haven't tried it in a pasta salad.

Alexis said...

I know this is a little late, but I was on vacation...I use fat free italian dressing with tricolor rotini and lots of veggies (carrots, peppers, red onion, etc). ..Also try bowties with chopped green onion, feta cheese, roasted red peppers, a little olive oil, and balsamic vinegar (sometimes I'll throw brocoli in too). Yum.

Michelle Smiles said...

I've never made pasta salad with mayo - I always use a vinaigrette of some sort. Huh.