When making an easy cold pasta salad when you don't have a lot of time should you wait to put the dressing on?!
What I mean is, today my sister was in a hurry to go to a wedding and at the last minute they asked her to bring a simple cold pasta salad!. Basically, its pasta with italian dressing in it!. Ususally she waits until it cools and then does it, but today she put it on there when it was hot and then cooled it in the fridge!. I am not a chef, but just wondering which would be the correct way to do it and why!? Thanks so much in advance!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Answers:
GOOD QUESTION! Your sister is correct in dressing her pasta while it's still slightly warmer and letting it cool in the refrigerator!. This way the pasta will have some time to soak up all of the flavors of the dressing and other ingredients!. When the pasta is warm, the starches are still loose, thereby creating a window of opportunity to add flavors that will soak INTO the pasta and seal in once the pasta cools off!. If you are adding in proteins such as Chicken, Tuna, Beef or Fish with your pasta salad, please only add these when the pasta is fully cooled!.
Of course, you never want to drench your fresh greens like this because they will become soggy and listless, but pasta is a whole other story! You can also use this technique with Potato and Macaroni Salad for this summer's parties! I hope this answers your question today and to take a newly found technique to create some delicious dishes!Www@FoodAQ@Com
Of course, you never want to drench your fresh greens like this because they will become soggy and listless, but pasta is a whole other story! You can also use this technique with Potato and Macaroni Salad for this summer's parties! I hope this answers your question today and to take a newly found technique to create some delicious dishes!Www@FoodAQ@Com
After cooking the pasta, it should be drained in a colander and rinsed in cold water until the pasta is thoroughly cooled!. It stops the cooking process so you don't end up with mushy pasta!. The the salad is assembled completely, then covered and refrigerated so the flavors can combine!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
If the dressing is put on hot pasta it would be absorbed and make the pasta even more flavorful, then allow it to cool to room temperature!. As for putting hot anything into a cold fridge, I wouldn't due to bacterial growth!. You're very welcome!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
I think the oil in the dressing might help keep the pasta from sticking together in the refrigerator !.!.!.!. but it's still going to have to be stirred up later!.!.!.!.!.!.Www@FoodAQ@Com