Finally, I’m back after a long hiatus. I didn’t realize that it’s been a long 3 months since I’ve last blogged. Laziness and heavy workload made me put off blogging during this period. However, I managed to squeeze in a vacation to Taiwan in October. As I needed to be away for a short week, I had to complete all my work before I set off. Yes, it was only a week, and there was so much to do!! Thanks to a few readers for reminding me that I’ve not been blogging. Haha..

Soy and Pepper is hosting Pasta Presto Nights this week and I thought, why not join in the fun? I cook pasta dishes quite often, mainly as a main course. This shall be my very first submission to Pasta Presto Nights.

Some time back, I was organizing a birthday picnic for a close friend. They requested to have my mashed potato salad for the picnic. It is the one and only salad they wanted every time we have a potluck. Making potato salad is quite time consuming, at least to me. The boiling, peeling and cutting of the potatoes takes up at least half an hour? Pasta salad on the other hand, is so much faster and easier to make. Boil the pasta and toss everything together and you’re done! I’m lucky they weren’t disappointed with the pasta salad. That’s a relief.

This is an easy salad recipe and you can add any ingredients you like to the pasta. For mine, I added yellow bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, ham and Japanese cucumber. Simply omit the ham if you want the vegan way. If you can’t find Japanese cucumber, replace them with normal cucumber or zucchini, anything to add crunch to the salad. I added some leftover cheddar shreds as well, really adds more punch to the salad. The dressing I added to the pasta is just a guideline, adjust the amount of mayonnaise and vinegar to your own preference. The pasta salad looks slightly dark due to the balsamic vinegar. Less is more!

Hearty Pasta Salad
Serves 8 to 10

300g fusilli pasta
1 to 1½ japanese cucumber, julienne
4 slices of picnic ham (or anything ham you like), cut to strips
1 yellow bell pepper, julienne
12 to 15 cherry tomatoes, halved
30g cheddar cheese, shredded (optional)
3 tbsp olive oil
1½ cup low fat mayonnaise (replace with yogurt for the healthier choice)
1½ tbsp balsamic vinegar (add more if you like it sour)
1 tsp dried parsley (1 tbsp if you are using fresh parsley, chopped)
black ground pepper

Cook pasta according to the packet instructions. Once the pasta is cooked, drain and set aside in a large bowl. Add mayonnaise, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and black ground pepper to the pasta. Toss to mix evenly so that each fusilli pasta is coated with the dressing. When the pasta has slightly cooled, add in Japanese cucumber, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, ham strips and cheddar cheese, mix well. Taste the salad, add more dressing if you like. Lastly, mix in the parsley. Cover the bowl and leave it in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours for the flavors to sit in. If time permits, leave it in the refrigerator overnight.

Quick to make, right? Share with me what kind of dishes you bring to a potluck. Perhaps I can try making them for my next potluck!! And I will share with you my mashed potato salad the next time I have the chance to make them.