The Flavor-Packed Ingredients Ina Garten Uses To Avoid Boring Pasta Salad

For today's picnic goers, the pasta salad of past generations has a definitively bad rap. Limp noodles wilting beneath unseasoned dressing should and will be bypassed for the plate of watermelon or, better yet, the drinks cooler. But discerning chefs have seen what incurious consumers have not. Pasta salad is ready for a revolution. With a dash of creativity and a pinch of out-of-the-box thinking, what was bland and boring can be fabulous and flavor-packed. Just ask culinary icon Ina Garten, who demonstrated her technique in an episode of her show "Barefoot Contessa" posted on YouTube. Her pasta salad recipe reflects a surprising perspective: Namely, that pasta need not be the star of pasta salad. It is simply the vehicle that allows other flavorful ingredients like punchy tomatoes, sharp cheese, and zippy dressing to shine.

Still, you'll want to prep your perfectly blank noodle canvas with a few essential steps. First, pick the right pasta shape (and always opt for dried over fresh since it won't fall apart as easily). Garten suggests fusilli, but any shape with nooks and crannies for the dressing to hold on to will suffice. Next, be sure to sufficiently salt your pasta water, as this is where most bland, pasta-based food crimes begin. Cook the pasta to your desired firmness and do not rinse. Rinsing will remove the helpful starches that your dressing will want cling to. Plus, as Garten explains, "the pasta should still be warm and then it absorbs all the flavors."

A sensational salad is all about the mix-ins. Kidney beans, chickpeas, or lentils will bulk up your salad with protein. Veggies like broccoli and carrots add a toothsome crunch and will lend your salad some textural heft. Whatever you add, be sure to dice it to the same size as your pasta and remember that more ingredients mean more flavor. Ina Garten, for instance, adds an entire pound of tomatoes to half as many noodles, plus sun-dried tomatoes that, according to Garten, add "really intense tomato flavor." 

Briney ingredients are another excellent flavor booster. Garten adds kalamata olives for a pungent kick to the palate, but pickles, pickled onions, or capers would also work well. Cheese is another crucial flavor conveyor. Chevre, pecorino, or feta, as Garten recommends, will give your pasta salad a sharp and salty lift. Garten also finishes her pasta salad recipe with grated parmesan for added texture.

Of course, all of your flavor-fortifying work will be wasted with a weak dressing. Although you're aiming for something less acidic than you'd use on a regular salad, you're still looking for a tart and tangy taste. Garten's dressing includes even more sun-dried tomatoes to amp up the tomato flavor. She also uses red wine vinegar, capers, and garlic for a bright finish, but lemon juice, white wine vinegar, or even pickle juice will do the trick. With so many bold flavors to play with, consider giving Ina's pasta salad equation a try.