Pasta salad question

[corazon]

My neighbor is making a mass amount of pasta salad for a wedding on Saturday. She's putting some kind of salad dressing on it. She asked me about when to put on. I think it'd be fine a day before or the morning of. I think the flavors would meld and the pasta would soak up some of the dressing. Would this turn the pasta too mushy? Tia!

 

[DaCook]

If the pasta was cooked and cooled properly (i.e. cooled in ice water to stop the cooking), then tossed with a little oil to keep it from sticking together, it should be fine. However be careful of the kind of containers it is stored in if it is a mayonaise based dressing (food grade plastic is best). HTH

 

[cjs]

You might also suggest holding back some of the dressing (and/or make a little extra) to add at the last minute. This is what I normally do, sometimes over nite, the pasta salads can get a tad dry and this refreshes them.

 

[VeraBlue]

Well, like often, I'm a day late and a dollar short. How did it come out? I make pasta salad often enough in the summer and always make it at least a day before I plan to serve it. I don't care for bottled salad dressing, though, opting instead for olive oil and vinegar.
I would definetely dress it the day before. Some of the liquid will be absorbed into the pasta but not much. Give it a toss before serving it. You'll see then if it needs more dressing or not.

The reason I like to use vinegar instead of bottled dressing is because I like to use different vinegars, like pear or raspberry or tarragon... This way, I can compliment the other ingredients in the salad.

If I wasn't so busy swimming and drinking alcohol to excess this past weekend, I would have noticed this

 

[Claire]

I lilke to make my own version of ranch dressing (yogurt, mayo, the packaged mix, and chopped herbs from the garden). I'd slightly moisten the pasta and veggies the night before with the dressing, then I'd add more just before I serve it.

 

[Banana Brain]

I think the fat in the oil or mayo would keep everything seperated. I kept a pasta salad leftover from a barbecue in my fridge for a few days once and it was still good.