basic pasta salad?

[desh]

OK. So I know I can make a pasta salad. I've got the pasta part down, and I can eyeball the right amount of other solid ingredients (feta, bell peppers, cucumber, olives, green onion). I'm just not at all sure about the liquid ingredient ratio or overall quantity.

So. For 1 pound of pasta, how much olive oil? How much vinegar? How much lemon juice, if any? (For bonus points, does red wine vinegar or balsamic sound better?) And how many people do you think this will serve overall (i.e. should I halve it)?

(The internet is really confusing on this score. Some sites say to use a 3:1 ratio of oil to vinegar, or maybe it's vinegar to oil? Some say to use the same amount, and they can't both be right! Also, so many sites measure the pasta in cups, though it comes in the box in pounds. How many cups to a pound? Is that uncooked cups or cooked? I figured it was just better to ask here.)

Thanks!

Comments

[flamewarrior]

Also, start by adding a tiny amount of dressing to your salad, then toss it. If every surface of every ingredient has a barely-there coating of dressing, you've got the right amount.