Jaclyn Pestka, Wayne Gisslen, Lou Sackett

Procedure for Making Pasta Salads

Appears in
Professional Garde Manger: A Comprehensive Guide to Cold Food Preparation
Professional Garde Manger

By Jaclyn Pestka, Wayne Gisslen and Lou Sackett

Published 2010

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  1. Bring a large quantity of salted water to the boil. Use a ratio of 1 gal (4 L) water to 1 lb (2 kg) pasta.
  2. Drop in the pasta, stir well, and boil to al dente.
  3. Drain in a colander.
  4. Immediately transfer the pasta to a hotel pan and mix it with some of the dressing to keep it from sticking together (see safety sidebar regarding mixing warm ingredients with mayonnaise dressing).
  5. Open-pan cool, and then chill.
  6. Add the remaining ingredients and dressing.
  7. Taste and correct the seasoning.
  8. Refrigerate and allow the salad to mellow for the specified time, usually about 1 hour.
  9. Evaluate and correct the seasoning if necessary.