Which Pasta Salad would you make?

[tk1999]

I have been searching BB for pasta salad recipes and found the below that appeal to me. But now I can't decide which one (or two) to make

It is for DDs christening this weekend - we are having sausages & marinated chicken wings as the meat and we are making a garden salad, my mum is making her potato salad and then I was going to make a rice salad (yet to find recipe that I want) and a pasta salad.

So please let me know which one you think would be best and the one that is most liked will win LOL.

It is to feed approx 90 people... so I would be making about 2 or 3 batches of the salad - which is why I could also make more than just one of these

Pasta Salad 1
Lightly brown salami and cut into pieces, chop up snow peas and capsicum, cook pasta spirals, add corn kernels to all other ingredients, add salad dressing of your choice

Pasta Salad 2
Packet of pasta, cooked. 2xtins 4-bean mix. large tin supersweet corn. capsicum, diced. Salad or spanish onions x 2 - finely diced. Mix all together

Pasta Salad 3
1kg pkt spiral pasta, cooked. 1 jar of whole egg mayo (any mayo will do though)
1 cup of thousand island dressing. (adjust according to taste). Finely diced red capsicum, diced ham, grated carrot, thinly sliced shallots & some grated cheese.

Pasta Salad 4
500gm spiral pasta cooked, 1 small handfull basil leaves (ripped apart, could chop finely or use 1 tbsp dried basil), 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 2 garlic cloves chopped finely, 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes sliced in half, 1/2 red capsicum chopped finely, 100gm meat - salami or ham, 1/2 cup olive of your choice\

Thanks to the BBers for the recipes!

So what gets your vote?

[suse]

Personally, I'd go with 4.

But, your choice should depend on the variety in the other salads' ingredients - ie: if your potato salad has meat and a mayo or cream based dressing, then go for a vegie or non mayo dressed version of the pasta salad. If both the rice salad and potato salad have capsicum in them (for example), then I'd made a version of the pasta salad with no capsicum.

Another option to throw a spanner in the works with: I do a pasta salad with baby spinach, spring (green) onions, blanched green beans, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, crumbled feta and crispy grilled or fried salami or prosciutto. Lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt and black pepper for dressing. Sometimes I also put in black olives (especially marinated ones). Really easy, and very flash looking too.

[smiles4u]

Another VOTE for #4 here too (sounds absolutely delish)

..... was wondering if you could put the cherry tomatoes in whole rather than cut them in half ... i've been seriously food poisoned twice due to tomatoes being sliced or cut in half and being exposed out of the skin in a salad due to it not still being chilled like when it was first placed out, both being buffet situations.
(So sorry don't wanna scare you just rather you know).

i was gonna say #3 but it sounds far too creamy for my liking (but that's just me ) !!

[sloane]

#4 gets my vote too! #2 would be my second choice.

enjoy the christening

[allycat06]

#4 for sure!