When it comes to potlucks and parties, a standout pasta salad can steal the show. Whether you're aiming for a mayo-free option, experimenting with unique dressings, or simply need to know how much to prepare for a crowd, we've got you covered.

Let’s be honest—we love pasta salad year-round. It plays well with creamy, comforting flavors in colder months, then graciously welcomes warmer temperatures with bright, fresh zest.

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There’s something about spring that makes dinner feel like an occasion again. The days are longer, flowers are blooming, and suddenly setting the table feels just as important as what’s being served.

I’ve loved “tablescaping” for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I’d jump at any excuse to set the table—Sunday dinners, holidays, even regular weeknights. I went through a serious napkin-folding phase (I’m talking flowers, hearts, animals…I’d even refold them at restaurants). At home, I’d use wrapping paper as a makeshift runner, sprinkle confetti around (much to my mother’s annoyance), and rummage through drawers for anything remotely decorative.

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Welcome to Come on Over, a Food52 newsletter about hosting life’s big and little moments. It’s where we share our editor’s personal tips and tricks, from modern-day etiquette—shoes off or shoes on?—to making extra seating out of every surface of an apartment. This week, Kelly is gearing up for pasta night.

No two-syllable word hits me quite like “pasta.” Aside from potatoes (hey, I am Irish), there’s no greater comfort food. A tomato sauce base is top tier—I’ll hear no different—and the smell of garlic knots baking as guests walk through the door? Magic. While pasta night is a simple concept, I believe in small elevations that give even the most casual affairs a bit more oomph. So pick your poison (pasta shape) and let’s get into it.

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