This pasta salad recipe hack will change how you prepare the dish

From summer barbecues to easy dinners, this pasta salad recipe hack is a major game changer for any home cook. While TikTok might be full of pasta chips or other snacking hacks, the reality is that pasta salad is a summertime staple. Isn’t it time that the pasta dish just tastes better?

For many people, pasta is a pantry staple. Whether the kids love their “buttered noodles” or families feature the food as part of Sunday supper, the reality is that there is always room for pasta.

In warmer months, cold pasta salad recipes are often served at barbecues. While all that grilled meat might be the star of the table, the meal isn’t complete without that flavorful side. Since pasta salad can take on a variety of flavors, it makes for a popular choice.

What pasta salad recipe hack is a game changer?

Cooking pasta isn’t necessarily hard, but cooking pasta for a salad and cooking pasta for another recipe isn’t the same. According to Barilla’s Executive Chef Lorenzo Boni, pasta for a salad should be cooked one minute less than the directions on the box.

The one minute less cooking time allows the pasta to have a better texture when incorporated into a pasta salad. Anyone who has had a mushy pasta salad appreciates that the bite is not a pleasant one. The pasta needs to have a contrasting texture to the other ingredients in the bowl.

In addition, once the pasta is done cooking, simply drain it, spread it on a baking sheet to cool and drizzle it with oil olive. This concept allows the pasta to avoid being overcooked. Again, the whole point is to avoid mushy pasta in a pasta salad.

From there, the pasta can take on a variety of flavors. From garden fresh vegetables to pieces of mozzarella to even some olives for brininess, the combination of ingredients reflect personal preferences.

At the same time, it can be tasty to coordinate pasta salad with the other dishes on the table. From bringing in some global flavors to offering a contrasting lightness to heavier proteins, all the food on the table should be in balance.

With this pasta salad hack, the classic side dish will taste even better. It might become the most requested dish of the summer.

What is your favorite pasta recipe? Do you have a great dish or recipe to share with FoodSided?