Italian Basil Pasta Salad Recipes

ITALIAN BASIL, TOMATO, AND PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• For dressing, in a small bowl whisk together vinegar, mustard, pepper, and garlic. Gradually whisk in oil. Stir in the slivered basil. Set dressing aside.
• Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain again.
• Meanwhile, in a large saucepan cook frozen beans according to package directions; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain again.
• Toss one-third of the dressing with the cooked pasta; place pasta in the bottom of a very large salad bowl. Layer ingredients on top of the pasta in the following order: cooked green beans, tomatoes, and olives. Top with remaining dressing. Sprinkle with the basil leaves, the Parmesan cheese, and parsley. Cover and chill for 4 to 24 hours. To serve, toss lightly to combine. Makes 16 servings.

ITALIAN BASIL PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. In a large bowl, combine the pasta, tomatoes, cheese, yellow pepper, onion, pepper rings, olives, salami and basil. , In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

ITALIAN DRESSING PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse with cold water; drain well. In two large bowls, combine the California vegetables, tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, onion, cheeses and pasta. , In a small bowl, combine the salad dressing, parsley, basil, Italian seasoning, seasoned salt and pepper. Pour over pasta mixture; toss to coat. Stir in olives. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. , Toss before serving. Serve with Romano cheese if desired.

SPINACH BASIL PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the bow tie pasta and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Rinse with cold water to cool. Drain well in a colander set in the sink.
• Toss the spinach and basil together in a large bowl.
• Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir the garlic in the hot oil for 1 minute; stir in the prosciutto and cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove from heat. Add to the bowl with the spinach and basil mixture; toss to combine. Pour in the drained pasta and retoss. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and pine nuts to serve.