The key to a great, well-balanced pasta salad therefore isn't what you mix in, but in how much pasta you use. For Ina Garten, the best pasta salad leans less on the noodles and more on the salad.

When you make pasta salad, no matter what kind you fancy, you need to dress the salad twice, or you're going to miss out on ...

When I got home, I boiled a pot of pasta to start easy with a big bowl of spaghetti with marinara sauce. And after one bite: WOW! I totally understand why the Barefoot Contessa loves this sauce so ...

While I did wish there was a bit more sauce for the amount of meatballs, every forkful was still heaven! Related: 101 Classic, Simple and Easy Pasta Recipes That Are Worthy of Dinner Tonight Finished ...