The Most Common Pasta Salad Mistakes You Should Avoid

Pasta salad tips
Image by asherstobitov/Depositphotos

If you aren’t a huge fan of pasta salad, it’s probably because you still haven’t learned how to make it properly. This dish has a lot of potential when you use the right ingredients and dressing and avoid these common mistakes that many beginners make.

Pasta Choice

Different pasta shapes have different purposes, and some of them simply don’t belong in your pasta salad. When it comes to this dish, you should opt for short pasta shapes that won’t trap the dressing and vegetables, such as farfalle, fusilli, and penne.

Veggie Choice

The veggies you’re using can break or make your pasta salad. Raw vegetables are best avoided, and they’ll taste much better when combined with pasta if you blanch or roast them first. Also remember to cut them into small pieces, approximately the size of the pasta shapes.

Dressing and Seasoning

Cold pasta often tastes pretty bland if you season it wrong. Add salt along the way, not only after your entire dish is assembled. You also shouldn’t wait for your pasta to cool down before adding the dressing because doing it right away gives it time to soak up.