Balsamic Dressing Pasta Salad

I made this pasta salad to take to a picnic at the park. And, because it was going to sit out at the park, not in a refrigerator, I wanted no mayo, no sour cream, no cheese, or dairy of any kind in my dish.

It’s a pasta salad that doesn’t have those culprits that can lead to food poisoning if left out too long. That’s not to say that you can leave this out indefinitely. Just that mayo and creamy foods do have a bad rep.

This is a great make ahead recipe

If you want to make this pasta salad in advance, the pasta does soak up some of the moisture, so give it a stir, and check it before serving to see if it needs a little more dressing.

Pasta salad will last for 3 to 5 days in the fridge. Make sure to cover it tightly with plastic wrap, or store it in a glass container with a tight-fitting lid.

What pasta shape to use

I went with Rotini for my pasta for this pasta salad. I think it’s a fun shape that fairly easy to eat with just a fork. No cutting or twirling of the pasta needed. Bow ties or macaroni would also work well.

Remember, at the park or picnic, there isn’t much in the way of utensils or great sturdy places to set your plate down while you eat. So, easy to eat things win the day!

Recipe notes

One thing you may notice about this recipe (and quite a few of my recipes) is that I say to place the chopped red onion in the strainer, and pour the pasta cooking water over it.

I do this to slightly cook my red onion; it softens to just enough to take the harsh raw bite out of it, but it still retains the nice crunch.

I find that most of my guests like this mellower onion flavor as well.

Why do you say to cook the pasta until slightly underdone?

Soft overcooked pasta can fall apart when you toss it with dressing. And if you let your salad marinate for several hours, the pasta absorbs extra moisture and turns even more mushy.

So, keeping the pasta slightly underdone allows it to stay nice once mixed with dressing.

Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

Note: this section contains affiliate links

Because I wanted this recipe to be super easy to make, I suggest using bottled balsamic dressing. {affiliate link} This is the one I used for my pasta salad. It tastes great!

Any bottled balsamic dressing will work; use your favorite. Or whatever you can find at the store.

Mom’s salad dressing or Ginger Dressing would also be a fantastic fun dressing to try on this.

Or, make your own. Use this recipe for Italian Dressing and make it with balsamic vinegar.