hubby and I will be attending an assembly this coming weekend. We need to bring our own lunch. Looking for?!

I'm glad you added "pasta salad" at the end, because that is exactly what I was going to recommend.

If you are going to pack a cooler, consider a shrimp and pasta salad with cheese tortellini, shrimp, sweet onion, celery, fresh tarragon and your favorite dressing

Another great pasta salad is nicoise olives, grape tomatoes, feta cheese, fresh basil, bow-tie pasta, and a light vinaigrette

If you need something that can be held at room temperature, my orzo pasta with fragrant sesame dressing fits the bill

Ingredients

Sesame dressing:

1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup corn oil
1/4 cup dark [toasted] sesame oil
1/2 cup rice vinegar or cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon orange zest, grated
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons scallions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon fresh peeled ginger, minced
1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro or parsley, minced

Salad:

1 pound uncooked orzo
1 tablespoon dark [toasted] sesame oil
3 cups carrots, shredded
2 cups raisins
1 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

Method

Dressing
Combine all the dressing ingredients by hand or in a food processor and set aside.

Salad
Cook orzo in rapidly boiling salted water until tender, 7 to 10 minutes or according to the package instructions. Refresh under cold water; drain well and let rest to finish draining, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Toss with sesame oil. Cool completely.

Combine the pasta with the carrots, raisins, pine nuts, and dressing.

If you're making it in advance, add the carrots and pine nuts just before serving to keep them crunchy.

Serve at room temperature.

This salad keeps for several days in the refrigerator, which is good, because it makes a lot.

Try this, you may never forget it

Tuscan White Bean Salad with Tuna

1-16 ounce can white beans, any variety, drained well
? cup finely chopped onion, any variety
1-6 ounce can tuna packed in water, drained well
? - 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1-2 Tbls olive oil – or to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Rinse drained beans gradually under warm water
2. Place drained tuna in a bowl, break into chunks, stirring in just a little olive oil for flavor
3. Combine tuna, beans, onion, parsley in a bowl, adding olive oil and mixing well (don’t be afraid to crush some of the beans)
4. Salt and pepper to taste (see notes below)

? This salad benefits from liberal amount of freshly ground black pepper
? Salt enhances the flavor of the oil, but there is salt in the tuna, so be cautious
? Vary the amounts of the ingredients to suit your taste
? Can be served on toasted baguette slices, or stuffed into Pita bread with lettuce and tomato.



or this classic

CLASSIC MACARONI SALAD


INGREDIENTS
? 4 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
? 1 cup mayonnaise (Lite or lo-cal is very OK)
? 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
? 2/3 cup white sugar
? 2 1/2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
? 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
? 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
? 1 large onion, chopped
? 2 stalks celery, chopped
? 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
? 1/4 cup grated carrot (optional)
? 2 tablespoons chopped pimento peppers (optional)
DIRECTIONS
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Rinse under cold water and drain.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt and pepper. Stir in the onion, celery, green pepper, carrot, pimentos and macaroni. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving, but preferably overnight.

hmmmmm..... pasta pasta pasta salad.
mmm i have a good reciepe.

red potatoes
mayo
lil bit of mustard
some bacon bits
with colored noodles
peprika
boiled egg
salt
pepper
season salt
and some spicy red pepper seasoning.
Its suprisingly really good.