The photo above was generated using AI. Made this and have a real photo? We’d love to feature it — submit yours here.
Pasta salad has a bad reputation and it’s earned. Made badly it’s dry, bland, and either chalky or claggy depending on which way it went wrong. Made properly it’s the best thing on a barbecue table.
Three decisions, and they’re all counterintuitive.
Serves 8 as a side.
Cook the pasta past al dente
This is the one that surprises people, because it’s the opposite of every other pasta instruction.
Cold pasta tastes firmer than warm pasta. As it cools the starch retrogrades and the texture tightens, so pasta cooked perfectly al dente and then chilled reads as hard and chalky in the bowl.
Cook it one to two minutes past the packet time — properly tender, just short of soft. Once it’s cold it’ll be exactly right.
Dress it warm, then again cold
Same principle as the potato salad, and it matters just as much.
Warm pasta absorbs dressing. Cold pasta is sealed and the dressing sits on the outside, which is why so much pasta salad is bland in the middle.
Toss the drained pasta in the oil-and-vinegar part of the dressing while it’s still hot, then let it cool. It’ll drink a surprising amount. Then add the rest of the dressing and the other ingredients once it’s at room temperature.
And keep a couple of tablespoons of dressing back. Pasta keeps absorbing as it sits in the fridge, so a salad that was perfect at lunchtime is dry by dinner — stir the reserved dressing through just before serving.
Don’t rinse the pasta — but do cool it fast
Rinsing washes off the surface starch that helps dressing cling. But leaving hot pasta in a colander means it keeps cooking in its own heat and clumps together.
Drain it, dress it with the oil immediately, and spread it on a tray to cool quickly. The oil stops it sticking and the tray gets the heat out fast.
Oil-based holds up better than mayo in a New Zealand summer
Both are legitimate. But an oil-and-vinegar dressing sits on a table at a barbecue for three hours without any concern, where a mayonnaise-based one is exactly the situation food safety advice is written for.
Oil-based also doesn’t split or go watery as the pasta absorbs it.
This recipe is oil-based with a little mayonnaise for body. Straight mayonnaise is fine if it’s staying in the fridge until it’s eaten.
Which pasta shape
Short shapes with texture — penne, fusilli, farfalle, conchiglie. Ridges and hollows trap dressing, which is the entire job.
Smooth shapes like macaroni hold much less. Long pasta doesn’t work at all — it tangles and won’t lift cleanly with a spoon.
Frequently asked questions
Should I cook pasta al dente for pasta salad?
No — cook it 1–2 minutes past al dente. Pasta firms up as it cools, so perfectly al dente pasta reads as hard and chalky once cold.
Should I rinse the pasta?
No. Rinsing washes off the surface starch that helps the dressing cling. Instead, drain it, dress it with the oil straight away, and spread it on a tray to cool fast.
Why is my pasta salad dry?
The pasta kept absorbing dressing while it sat in the fridge. Dress it warm so it soaks in properly, and hold back a couple of tablespoons of dressing to stir through just before serving.
Why is my pasta salad bland?
It was dressed cold. Warm pasta absorbs seasoning right through; cold pasta only carries it on the surface. Salt the cooking water well too.
What pasta is best for pasta salad?
Short shapes with ridges or hollows — penne, fusilli, farfalle, conchiglie. They trap dressing. Smooth macaroni holds much less, and long pasta tangles.
Can I make pasta salad the day before?
Yes. Hold back some dressing and the fresh herbs, and add them before serving. It’s good for two days.
Mayonnaise or oil dressing?
Oil-based holds up far better in the heat and doesn’t split as the pasta absorbs it, which matters at a summer barbecue. Mayonnaise is fine if it’s going straight from fridge to table.
How long can it sit out?
An oil-based dressing is comfortable for a few hours. A mayonnaise-based one shouldn’t be out more than two hours in summer heat.
How do I stop the feta breaking up?
Fold it through last and gently. Add it at the same time as everything else and it disintegrates into the dressing.
Variations
- Pesto pasta salad — replace the dressing with 1/2 cup basil pesto loosened with olive oil and lemon juice.
- Bacon and pea — 6 rashers crisped and crumbled, plus a cup of cooked peas.
- Chicken caesar — shredded roast chicken, parmesan, croutons and a caesar-style dressing.
- Roast vegetable — roasted pumpkin, capsicum and red onion instead of the raw vegetables, and a balsamic dressing.
- Curried — 2 tsp curry powder in the dressing and a handful of sultanas, which is very close to the site’s existing curry rice salad.
| Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Cook Time | 12 minutes |
| Servings |
servings
|
- 500 g short pasta penne, fusilli or farfalle
- 1/3 cup olive oil 80 ml
- 3 Tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise 60 g
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 250 g cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 red capsicum diced
- 1 telegraph cucumber deseeded and diced
- 1/2 red onion very finely sliced
- 150 g feta crumbled
- 1/2 cup pitted olives halved
- 1/4 cup chopped basil or parsley
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Ingredients
|
Rate this recipe!
|
- Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, mayonnaise and sugar together with a good pinch of salt. Set aside about 3 tablespoons of it.
- Cook the pasta in well-salted water for **1–2 minutes longer than the packet says** — tender, just short of soft.
- Drain but **don't rinse**. Tip into a large bowl and immediately toss with about half the dressing while the pasta is still hot. It will absorb most of it.
- Spread the dressed pasta on a tray to cool quickly to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
- Return to the bowl and add the remaining dressing (not the reserved 3 tablespoons), then the tomatoes, capsicum, cucumber, red onion, olives and most of the herbs. Toss gently.
- Fold through the feta last so it stays in pieces rather than breaking up.
- Season generously and chill for 30 minutes.
- **Just before serving, stir through the reserved dressing** and scatter over the rest of the herbs.