Cool summer pasta-bilities: Tasty, easy salads won't heat up kitchen
This time of year when the temperature and humidity are soaring cold pasta seems a whole lot more appealing than hot. Most cold pasta dishes are easy to prepare and can be made the night before or in the morning, so all you have to do is take them out of the refrigerator and serve.

I find that pasta salads require a more robust pasta than angel hair or spaghetti. I often use bow tie, rotini or fusilli shapes. Once the pasta is cooked, cool it quickly by draining it and then running it under cold water. Then drain it thoroughly. If you make the pasta salad ahead of time, bring it out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before serving. Be a little heavy-handed with the herbs and spices and especially salt (most of the salt you use in cooking the pasta gets drained or rinsed off). If your pasta salad has been refrigerated for several hours before you make your salad, taste it before you serve it and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. If you plan on serving it right after you make it, let it sit about 10 minutes as the flavors may need a little time to blend.

Pasta salads are a great way to use up those pesky half jars of stuff hiding in the refrigerator. You can also raid your staples shelf and toss in olives, black beans and chickpeas, and tomatoes are just about perfect in any pasta salad.