This isn't a pasta salad, per se, but it's easy and delicious. All you need is leftover chicken, freshly cooked pasta (I prefer cheese tortollini), and a small jar of pesto. Mix all of that in a bowl until the pasta and chicken are well covered in pesto and serve. This should be served hot although it reheats well as leftovers, too.

Once again, this was addressed at "married guy and his wee wifey cook". General tips: Use textured, rather than tubular, pasta, as it holds the other ingredients better. We favor rotini, but shells are also popular. Add the flavor ingredients while the pasta is hot, so it takes on the flavor, then chill and add the salad stuff.

Regarding Hamburger Helper. LOL!

It ain't haute cuisine, but it fills an empty spot, and it'll keep the digestive system working. I'm not even sure if it falls in the food classification, but when you're hungry, it'll fill you up.

Grandkids love it, because it is basically hamburger, macaroni, and cheese. If you like those three, then you're set.

I keep a box in the pantry at all times.

On the topic of those helper things...yeah, they suck....and this from someone who willingly eats Kraft macaroni and cheese.
We vary our pasta salad depending on what's in season and favorite dressings. Always lots of olives though.

Hi there Jeff!
My favorite pasta salad is usually made in the summer, but it works year round as well. I might use Wacky Mac, assorted colors and shapes, or rotini, plain or tri-colored. I toss in pepperoni slices, cut in half, pieces of provolone,and or mozzerella chunks, assorted veges like yes onion(sweet)broccoli florets, celery, tomatoes, black olives and a few pepperoncini if I have them on hand. Any veg combination works, probably not the starchy varieties. I don't put anything on it until I'm ready to serve, then my favorite dressing is Good Seasons Italian. Oh-and parmesean cheese is good sprinkled in too. I don't care for when these salads soak up the dressings, I think the pasta gets weird, but that might just be me. Plus, my son or Chan might want ranch dressing. It's good on top of greens if you're feeling particularly healthful.
Hamburger Helper...I have stooped, umm, tried these in past lives. Okay I'm more discriminating now. They are no fail, and worth a try, but lots of crap ingredients, i.e.sodium etc.I even avoid the rice and bean mixes from Zatarain's because quite frankly they are way too salty. I don't have to avoid salt really, but it comes down to the salty taste. I'd rather make my own, whether it be a hamburger or rice and bean concoction. Then I can control what goes in.

I'm glad you like the Good Seasons dressings. I do, too, because I can use real olive oil instead of the soy oil so many bottled dressings use. Soy products are hell on folks like me with Gout.

pasta and a sauce for me, no salad. I like pasta fresh, hot and covered, (not smothered), in a sauce,either tomato or an olive oil based one, or covered by black beans.

Unless you count mixing tuna salad with macaroni. That might count.

Hamburger Helper and such are no worse than other prepared foods, but not gourmet be a far stretch.

I usually roll my own when stretching ground meat. I like to mix well browned burger with mac and cheese, preferably home made, but the better commercial brands, like Kraft Deluxe are not bad or even the frozen ones you oven cook. I call it macaroni and cheese-burger. Doesn't take much to fill you up if you have it with a salad or other green veggie, though it doesn't keep for more than a day.