Ninja Foodi Pasta Salad

As the weather is getting nicer (finally!) I find myself wanting something a little lighter to eat and pasta salad is a perfect choice!!  It’s cold, refreshing, and filled with fresh vegetables!  When I cook Instant Pot Ribs or steaks on the grill, I crave pasta and potato salad for my side dishes!!

Why cook pasta salad in the Ninja Foodi you ask?  Well, if you’ve ever made pasta in the Ninja Foodi you know why!  OMG, it’s so fast!  And the best part is that you no longer have to stand in the kitchen watching the water boil and asking yourself if the pasta is done cooking yet.  The Ninja Foodi literally does all of the work for you!

In a matter of just a couple of minutes, your pasta will be cooked perfectly and instead of watching water boil, you can prepare all of your vegetables while the pasta is cooking!  Talk about a time saver!  I will never boil pasta on the stove again!  Game changer!  🙂

Oh- and if you aren’t making your potato salad in the Ninja Foodi….you MUST try it.  Did I mention that you can cook your eggs and potatoes together in the pot…at the same time….in 4 minutes??!!! 4 MINUTES!!!!

Tips for making Pasta Salad in the Ninja Foodi:

1.As a rule of thumb, you should cook the pasta based on this calculation.  Look at the box, take the recommended time and cut it in half and then subtract 2.  For example, if the suggested cook time is 10 minutes, cut that in half to 5 and then subtract 2.  This will leave you with 3.  Cook for 3 minutes.

2.Add in whatever vegetables are on sale or that you absolutely love.  You can really get creative and add in whatever you would like.

3.A few additional ingredients that you may like- mini pepperonis, cheese cubes, and my favorite- artificial crab meat.

4.Be sure to let your pasta cool before adding the mayonnaise.  If you don’t the mayonnaise will “melt” in the pasta salad and it will not be as creamy as it should be.

Looking for more recipes for pasta?  Check out some of our favorites below!

Ninja Foodi Mostaccioli

Ninja Foodi Shrimp Scampi Linguine

Ninja Foodi Tuscan Chicken Pasta 

Ninja Foodi Crack Chicken Pasta

Ninja Foodi Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

Ingredients for making Ninja Foodi Pasta Salad:

• 16 ounces of your favorite dried pasta- I used rotini for this recipe but any short pasta will do!
• 1 cup of mayonnaise
• ½ cup of your favorite Italian dressing.  I prefer to use Kraft Zesty Italian but you can use whatever you have on hand
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup cauliflower- cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 cup broccoli- cut into bite-sized pieces
• ½ cup red pepper- cut into bite-sized pieces
• ½ cup yellow pepper- cut into bite-sized pieces
• ½ cup sliced black olives-
• ½ cup cherry tomatoes- sliced in half

Instructions for making Ninja Foodi Pasta Salad:

Cook the pasta:

1.Pour 4 cups of water into the Ninja Foodi.

2.Pour in 1 pound of dried pasta- do not stir.  Instead, “push” the pasta down so that it is covered with the water as much as possible.

3.Close the lid and move the valve to “seal” position.

4.Pressure cook on high for 3 minutes.  As a rule of thumb, you should cook the pasta based on this calculation:  Look at the box, take the recommended time and cut it in half and then subtract 2.  For example, if the suggested cook time is 10 minutes, cut that in half to 5 and then subtract 2.  This will leave you with 3.  Cook for 3 minutes.

5.Once timer beeps, quick-release pressure and remove the lid.

6.Rinse pasta and let cool.

Prepare the pasta salad:

1.Cut vegetables into bite-sized pieces.

2.Once the pasta has cooled, sprinkle salt and pepper into pasta.

3.Combine all ingredients- pasta, vegetables, mayonnaise, and Italian dressing- stir well.

4.Refrigerate until you are ready to eat!

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