Summer Pasta with Elbow Pasta?

I make a nice pasta salad with some combo of the following:

Chopped fresh tomatoes
Roasted red tomatoes (or just fresh chopped)
Feta cheese
Finely minced garlic
Scallions (or vidalia onions)
Capers
Lots of fresh herbs (basil is the most important, but I'll also add chives and parsley if I have them)

Dress the salad with:
Extra virgin olive oil
Lemon zest (the finely grated yellow peel -- just the yellow part, not the white below)
Lemon juice
Salt and pepper

You can omit parts of it (the red bell pepper, the lemon zest, the capers, etc). The essentials are the tomatoes, herbs, feta and olive oil/lemon juice dressing. Very nice and summery.

You can take that pasta and throw in diced cheddar cheese, diced carrots, cucumber, celery, pretty much any veggie you like and toss with Italian dressing. Simple, yummy, and a perfect side dish or main meal. You could also throw chicken in if your family likes meat in pasta!

I have diced up onion, and add mayo and tuna it is delicious!! And chill as a cold salad.

What about dicing sweet cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese and throwing in there some fresh arugula leaves...season with salt, pepper and fresh olive oil (extra virgin of course) and, voilà, you have a fresh italian pasta salad presto!!!! Buon appetito... ;-)

PS. alternative could be basil "pesto"...yummyyyy!!!

#1(pasta salad)
Toss cold pasta with balsemic vinegar/olive oil (half and half), TINY pinch sugar, diced green bell pepper, chopped onion, tiny tomatoes, capers if you have them, raw broccoli, dash of garlic powder, light dash of thyme or basil, salt and black pepper to taste. (Cubbed cheddar cheese is good, but you might not want cheese.)

#2(hot pasta dish)
Mix together to make sauce:
1 cup peanut butter (I like Smucker's)
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup tomato catsup
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar (or other mild vinegar, or use less if using regular vinegar)
1/2 cup chopped red or green bell pepper
Salt and Black pepper to taste

Stir above sauce into warm pasta.

A very plain maccaroni salad that my husband and kids love is...hard boiled eggs (chopped), elbow noodles, mayo, salt, pepper and celery seed. I think it is only ok...but that is just me...

Make a homemade Parmesan sauce by mixing 2 cups heavy cream in a saucepan with a little butter, garlic, and pepper on medium. As it starts to warm up, slowly stir in 1 cup parmesan cheese while stirring constantly.

Toss the elbow pasta in a bowl with your sauce, bacon crumbles, and sauteed mushrooms. ( I also add in some chicken if I have any leftover )

Hi, I make a pasta salad with peppers(all colors:green, yellow, orange and red) and tomatoes and mayonaise. The children love it.. we call it a fiesta because it is so colorful! Enjoy, Grandma Mary

The easiest macaroni salad I have is 2 parts mayo to 1 part Mircle Whip and a little sugar to taste. (Sometimes I forget the sugar and it tastes fine without it.) Add chopped egg, chopped parsley, grated carrots, and chopped celery and you're good do go. Just be sure to refrigorate before serving.

Another thing that's good is 2 parts sour cream to 1 part mayo with a sprinkle of black pepper, oregano, and basil. Add chopped left over broiled or boiled chicken, onion, and celery.

cold salald pasta bottled dressing and some veggy and chesse

Italian dressing and all the vegetables you want or like (Raw ones). We normally throw pepperoni and string cheese cut up, but you wanted no cheese and meat

really? there are many many options for salads, here are a few:
1. crab-pasta salad: crab meat (or tuna, shrimp, etc) mayo, little yogurt, little mustard, green onions
2. pasta - tuna salad: same as above replace crab meat with tuna
3. add corn, green onions, roasted red peppers a little mayo or yogurt
4. add grilled (sauteed) chicken pieces, grape tomatoes, feta cheese, parsley
5. chop your fav raw veggies: carrots, cukes, green onions, peppers and toss them with the pasta with some olive oil

Experiment with grilled summer veggies like zuchinnis and eggplant and toss them with the pasta with your favorite dressing.

My favorite is tuna noodle. A can of tuna, mayo to taste, and I add pickle relish and cut up tomatoes. A great meal for lunch. Good Luck.

macaroni salad with tuna! mix the elbows with some mayo and a can of tuna and add somechopped celery for crunch, we eat that all summer!

Macaroni salad....spring salad... homemade Mac and cheese?