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Cavatappi Pasta Salad

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Cavatappi is a hollow, ridged, corkscrew-shaped pasta, and its name means “corkscrew” in Italian. Yes, it works very well in pasta salad. The twists and hollow tubes grab onto dressing and small chopped pieces.

Don’t confuse it with fusilli, which is a flat twist. Cavatappi is a hollow tube. Some stores sell it under other names, so look for the corkscrew shape on the package.

Ingredients

Everything here is simple. You’ll need a large stockpot, a large mixing bowl, and a colander. The salad uses plain pantry staples plus two fresh vegetables.

Pasta
  • 1 lb. Cavatappi pasta noodles
  • 4 quarts of water for boiling
  • 1 tsp. of salt in the cooking water
Creamy dressing
  • 1 1/2 cups of Hellmann’s mayonnaise
  • 1 cup of B & G dill pickle juice
  • 2 tbsp. of sugar
  • 1 tsp. of celery salt
Fresh vegetables
  • 2 large ripe tomatoes (beefsteak or vine-ripe), chopped into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 large green pepper, chopped into 1 inch pieces

Instructions

How to Make Cavatappi Pasta Salad

Read the steps once before you start. The pasta needs a rinse and a cool-down before it meets the dressing.

1
Boil the pasta
Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large stockpot. Add 1 tsp. of salt. Then add the cavatappi and cook for 12 minutes on medium heat. Stir now and then so the twists don’t stick.
2
Drain and cool
Drain the pasta in a colander. Rinse it with cold water until it feels room temperature.
3
Mix the dressing
In a large mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, pickle juice, sugar, and celery salt. Stir until smooth.
4
Combine and chill
Add the tomatoes, green pepper, and pasta. Mix well. Then cover and refrigerate for two hours. Before serving, stir again so every twist is coated.
Food-safety note: This salad contains mayonnaise, so keep it refrigerated until serving. Don’t let it sit out for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour if it’s hotter than 90°F.

Notes

How Do You Keep Pasta Salad From Drying Out?

Use plenty of dressing, chill the salad, and stir it before serving. Pasta keeps soaking up dressing while it sits, so it looks drier the longer it waits.

This recipe starts with 1 1/2 cups of mayonnaise and 1 cup of pickle juice for 1 pound of pasta, so there’s plenty to go around. If leftovers look dry the next day, stir in a splash more pickle juice.

5 Pasta Salad Mistakes to Avoid

  • Using too little water. Most sources suggest 4 to 6 quarts per pound of pasta, so the noodles can move freely.
  • Overcooking. Stick to the 12 minutes. Mushy pasta turns pasty once it’s dressed.
  • Skipping the cold rinse. Warm noodles can make the dressing loose, and extra starch can make them gummy.
  • Skipping the chill or the final stir. The two hours let the flavors blend. The last stir re-coats the pasta.
  • Leaving the bowl out too long. Keep it cold, and return it to the fridge within 2 hours.

How Long Does Cavatappi Pasta Salad Last?

Store it in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. That matches the USDA guidance for mayonnaise-based salads, as reported by PureWow. Some sources allow longer, but this is the safer rule.

Serve it cold, straight from the fridge, with a good stir first. Skip the microwave, since this is a cold salad.

Ways to Switch It Up

  • Add cucumber, black olives, red onion, or feta for a Greek-style twist, as shown in the photo. These are optional, so add them to taste.
  • Sprinkle chopped parsley on top for color.
  • Serve it next to grilled chicken or burgers.

Find it online: https://recipeshomely.tardhard.com/cavatappi-pasta/