Christmas Pasta Salad Recipes

PASTA WITH PUMPKIN AND SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and brown the sausage in it. Transfer sausage to paper towel lined plate. Drain fat from skillet and return pan to the stove. Add the remaining tablespoon oil, and then the garlic and onion. Saute 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are tender.
• Add bay leaf, sage, and wine to the pan. Reduce wine by half, about 2 minutes. Add stock and pumpkin and stir to combine, stirring sauce until it comes to a bubble. Return sausage to pan, reduce heat, and stir in cream. Season the sauce with the cinnamon and nutmeg, and salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer mixture 5 to 10 minutes to thicken sauce.
• Return drained pasta to the pot you cooked it in. Remove the bay leaf from sauce and pour the sausage pumpkin sauce over pasta. Combine sauce and pasta and toss over low heat for 1 minute. Garnish the pasta with lots of shaved cheese and sage leaves.
• Serve pumpkin sausage pasta with pumpernickel or whole grain bread and Spinach Salad with Apple and Red Onion.
• Place spinach, apple, and onion in a salad bowl. Place oil, vinegar, mustard and honey in a small plastic container and fit lid on container. Shake dressing to combine, 1 minute. Pour dressing over salad, toss, and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

CHRISTMAS PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook orzo in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
• Add pesto and lemon juice to the orzo; toss to coat. Mix in tomatoes, mozzarella cheese balls, and pepperoni strips. Refrigerate for 8 hours to overnight.
• Mix in basil right before serving.

CHRISTMAS PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with cold water. Drop the broccoli into the boiling water and cook until crisp-tender and bright green, about 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and plunge into the cold water to stop the cooking. Let sit until cool, then drain and set aside.
• Return the water in the pot to a boil and cook the rigatoni according to the package directions for al dente. Drain in a colander and transfer to a large bowl. Toss the pasta with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to coat evenly and refrigerate until cooled completely, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the remaining 1/3 cup olive oil to a blender with the spinach, Parmesan, almonds, basil, lemon juice, chives and 1/4 cup water and puree until completely smooth. Pour the pesto over top of the pasta and add the reserved broccoli, red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella, vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt. Toss gently until well combined. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with more chopped chives. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 4 hours.

CHRISTMAS PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Drain artichokes, reserving liquid and quarter them.
• Place pasta in boiling water and cook according to package directions.
• Drain.
• Mix pasta with liquid from artichokes.
• Add lemon juice, artichokes, beans, olives, green onions, celery, bell peppers and oregano.
• Mix gently and chill.
• One hour before serving, add feta and Italian dressing.
• Mix to coat.
• Serve cool.

CHRISTMAS PASTA

Steps:

• Heat a deep pot over medium high heat. Add oil, garlic, bay, and pancetta bits and brown for 1 minute. Add meats and brown and crumble them for 5 minutes.
• Chop carrot, celery, and onions near the stove and add to the pot as you work. Cook vegetables with meat 5 minutes and add wine. Cook for 1 minute; add stock and tomatoes to the pot.
• Stir in parsley, allspice, or cinnamon and season sauce with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, and cook 10 to 15 minutes minimum before serving. Reheated sauce only improves.
• Toss pasta (cook off only as much pasta as you need at the time: half a pound for every 3 people) with a couple of ladles of sauce to coat, then top bowl with extra sauce. Top pasta with lots of cheese and pass bread at the table.