Pasta salad
{{Short description|Summer salad made with pasta}}
{{Refimprove|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox food
| name = Pasta salad
| image = Pasta salad closeup.JPG
| image_size = 250px
| caption = Pasta salad with fusilli, tomato, and vegetables
| alternate_name = {{lang|it|Insalata di pasta}} (in Italian), {{lang|it|pasta fredda}} (in Italian)
| country = Italy
| region =
| creator =
| course = Antipasto or {{lang|it|primo}}
| type = Pasta
| served =
| main_ingredient = Pasta, vinegar or oil or mayonnaise
| variations =
}}
Pasta salad, known in Italian as {{lang|it|insalata di pasta}} or {{lang|it|pasta fredda}}, is a dish prepared with one or more types of pasta, almost always chilled or room temperature, and most often tossed in a vinegar, oil or mayonnaise-based dressing. It is typically served as an appetiser (antipasto) or first course ({{lang|it|primo}}).
Origin
There are various theories about the origin of pasta salad. Claudia Roden claims that Italian Jews prepared it centuries before other Italians because Jewish law prohibits cooking on the sabbath.{{cite web | url=https://zamir.org/wp-content/notes/pdfs/2003/RodenFood.pdf| title=The Dishes of the Jews of Italy: A Historical Survey|publisher=Zamir.Org | date=August 31, 2008 | access-date=6 July 2022}}
Ingredients
The ingredients used vary widely by region, restaurant, seasonal availability, and personal preferences. The dish can be as simple as cold macaroni mixed with mayonnaise (macaroni salad), or as elaborate as several pastas tossed together with a vinaigrette and a variety of fresh, preserved or cooked ingredients. These can include vegetables, legumes, cheeses, nuts, herbs, spices, meats, poultry or seafood.{{cite web| url=http://www.foodtolove.com.au/recipes/seafood-pasta-salad-21868| title=Seafood Pasta Salad| publisher=Australian Women's Weekly| date=August 15, 2015| access-date=16 September 2014| archive-date=23 June 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160623201258/http://www.foodtolove.com.au/recipes/seafood-pasta-salad-21868| url-status=dead}}
Gallery
File:Pasta salad (2).jpg|Pasta salad prepared with fusilli
File:Pasta salad with cherry tomatoes.jpg|Pasta salad with cherry tomatoes