Aren’t you tired of preparing the same ol’ pasta dishes? Spaghetti, rigatoni, macaroni and cheese, these are the common pasta dishes that the lot of pasta lovers has been preparing over time. Sure, these dishes are superb and very tasty. But there is actually something that you can do to spice up these ordinary dishes. And one such way is by dishing up a pasta salad.

Here comes the matter of ingredients to include in your pasta salad. The great thing about preparing a pasta salad is that just about anything can be included! Just go through your refrigerator and your cupboard for you will surely find a lot of ingredients that you can include for your dish. Just to name a few, here are some ideal ingredients that you can use.

Vegetables. Veggies make great ingredients in pasta salads. What’s great about these lean greens is that you can add just about any veggie to your salad! Here are some examples of what you can include: bell peppers, onions, carrots, cucumber, spinach, tomatoes, celery, broccoli, and cauliflower. But these are not the only veggies you can include! With veggies, you actually have a choice of adding them to your salad raw or cooking them with the pasta. Raw is easier because all you have to do is add them to the pasta when it is cooked. But if you want them cooked, then it’s better to wait for the pasta to be partially cooked before the veggies are added into the pot. Partial cooking of the pasta usually takes three minutes. This is done to prevent the veggies from being too soggy and overcooked. But with tomatoes, they should be added raw, not cooked. The same goes for cucumber. These should be added when the pasta has been cooked and has cooled down for a bit already.

Meat and Seafood. Meat is a definite must for pasta salads. Beef, pepperoni, ham, and chicken are popular choices here. Whether you have them cubed or sliced, this would be totally up to you. Fresh or leftover meat can be added to pasta salads, and even meat from cans! Seafood makes a great ingredient as well, whether you go with freshly cooked or canned. Canned tuna or canned salmon make great choices here. These are actually the easier ones to include because all you have to do is open up a can or two, and they can go right into your salad right away. But if you prefer freshly cooked seafood, just be sure whatever you’d include have been properly cooked. Popular choices include shrimp, clams, squid, crab, mussels, prawns, and oysters.

Cheese. The usual choice here would be Parmesan cheese. But this does not mean only Parmesan cheese can be used. Any type of cheese can be included, and you can have them sliced, grated, or cubed.

Garlic, Olives, Spices. A couple of garlic cloves should suffice, as well as any sliced olive. As for spices, you can add them, but make sure to do this in a sparing manner. Salt, pepper, basil, curry, oregano, and thyme are popular spices that you can include.

Dressing. Of course, what is a salad without dressing? You have a lot of choices here, actually. You can go with a creamy dressing. Or you can choose the usual oil and vinegar mix. You can have the bottled one, or you can make your own! Dressing is pretty easy to make, you know. If you want to do creamy, then use a cup of either mayonnaise or yogurt, along with ¼ cup of either of the following: wine, lemon, vinegar, or lime juice. If you prefer oil and vinegar, just use salad oil in place of the mayonnaise or yogurt.