Classic Chefs Pasta Salad Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S CLASSIC MACARONI SALAD

Steps:

• Whisk 1 cup mayonnaise, vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl until well blended; whisk in sugar. Stir in celery, red bell pepper, carrot, onions, and jalapeno and poblano peppers. Refrigerate until macaroni is ready to dress.
• Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain but do not rinse. Allow macaroni to drain in a colander about 5 minutes, shaking out moisture from time to time. Pour macaroni into large bowl; toss to separate and cool to room temperature. Macaroni should be sticky.
• Pour dressing over macaroni and stir until dressing is evenly distributed. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or, ideally, overnight to allow dressing to absorb into the macaroni.
• Stir salad before serving. Mix 1 tablespoon mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon water into salad for fresher look.

CLASSIC PASTA SALAD (FOR A CROWD)

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente pasta. Drain and rinse with cold water until pasta is room temperature. Place pasta in a large bowl.
• Add cherry tomatoes, pepperoni, onion, bell pepper, mozzarella, parmesan, and olives to the bowl. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, add olive oil, vinegar, italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.
• Pour vinaigrette over pasta salad, then toss to coat. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving. Pasta salad will keep for 3-4 days, refrigerated in a sealed container. Pasta WILL continue to soak up the dressing the longer it sits, so it may need a splash of olive oil and vinegar if it has been sitting for several hours.

CLASSIC CREAMY PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Start off by making the creamy salad dressing. In a small bowl combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. 
• Then dice up the red onion, celery, and bell pepper. You can speed the process up by using a vegetable chopper.
• Now cook the pasta according to the package or al dente. Once the pasta is cooked, pour out into a colander and quickly rinse it with cold water to stop the cooking process. 
• Then add the pasta, chopped vegetables, and creamy dressing into a large bowl and toss to combine. Here you can add additional salt according to your liking. Serve chilled.

CLASSIC PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; cook rotini at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Strain pasta and run it under cold water to stop the cooking process; you don't want it to be mushy. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
• Add salad dressing, pepperoni, salami, Cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, feta cheese, black olives, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion to the pasta; toss to combine.
• Cover and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving.

CLASSIC MACARONI SALAD

Steps:

• Make the dressing: In a large bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, soy sauce and hot sauce until smooth. Drain and dry the red onion and stir it into the dressing along with the bell pepper, scallions and a generous pinch of salt.
• Make the pasta: In a large pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Add a generous amount of salt. Add the pasta and cook, stirring from time to time, until al dente (chewy but not hard or raw tasting), 6 to 10 minutes. Drain; do not rinse the pasta. Spread it out on a large baking sheet to cool slightly, 5 to 10 minutes.
• While the pasta is still warm, add it to the bowl with the dressing and let sit at room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Stir in the dill and basil just before serving and taste for seasoning.

CLASSIC CHEF'S PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Pour pasta (from box) into 3-quart saucepan 2/3 full of boiling water. Gently boil uncovered 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta. Rinse with cold water; drain well.
• In large bowl, stir together seasoning (from box), mayonnaise and Dijon mustard to make dressing.
• Add pasta, cheese, chicken, ham and spinach to dressing mixture in bowl; toss to gently coat. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until serving.

CHEF SALAD

Steps:

• Combine romaine and butter lettuce in a large bowl and tear into bite-sized pieces. Toss to mix.
• Add turkey, turkey ham, Swiss cheese, Cheddar cheese, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, croutons, and eggs; mix to combine. Drizzle with ranch dressing and toss to combine. Another option is to place all the ingredients into individual dishes to allow guests to customize their chef salads to taste.