Salad Dressing help needed

[tracey67]

I'm making a pasta salad today, but I'm a little stumped as to what type of dressing to use. I grilled a bunch of chicken and beef kabobs yesterday and am planning to mix the leftovers in with some pasta and broccoli (as well as the red and yellow peppers and onions that were cooked with the kabobs). What should I use to bind it all together?

I'm open to any suggestions - homemade or from a bottle. My only request is that it be more an "oil" type of dressing than a "mayonnaise" type (don't get me wrong, I like mayo salads, but it's really hot here and I was thinking that an oil dressing would be more refreshing).

TIA!
tracey

[daner94]

I would think that an italian dressing or vinaigrette would be great, this is how we serve our pasta salad here at work.

[beejayw1]

I'm embarrassed to suggest this :o, because I love to make my own dressing, but if you're pressed for time and want a nice vinaigrette, try Paul Newman's Own Balsamic Vinaigrette.

It's a very good vinaigrette; not overpowering with the balsamic vinegar (why do restaurants seem to feel that if a teaspoon of something - like cilantro or balsamic vinegar - is good, half a cup is a lot better? :rolleyes: ) with good spices. It does well for a pasta salad. If you want to cut down on the fat a little, pour off about half the oil from the bottle.

[DmOrtega]

Any vinegrette dressing that you like will work. Even a Ceasar salad dressing would be good.

[lorilei]

Depending on the seasonings on your kabobs, you might want to try a lemon dressing:

Olive oil
lemon juice
lemon zest
garlic
thyme

It's a lovely combination that lends itself well to pasta. And you can gauge the amount of oil by how the pasta "acts" when you add the dressing. Simple as pie...