Cold Versus Room Temperature

• Room temperature, generally about 70 degrees Fahrenheit, will make your pesto pasta less stiff and will make it taste better. At room temperature you can smell the spicy garlic and aromatic basil more clearly -- your perception of the pasta's flavor is heightened by the aroma. Even more importantly, the microscopic proteins that form your tastebuds perform better when they are warm than when they are cool.

Safety

• While your pasta will taste more flavorful if you let it warm to room temperature before serving, you do still need to follow food safety guidelines and serve the dish within 20 or 30 minutes of taking it out of the refrigerator so bacteria don't have a chance to grow. A good rule of thumb is to refrigerate all foods within two hours of preparation and keep your refrigerator at 40 F or less.

Pasta Salad

• Because chilling makes it difficult to taste food, you may need to add more salt to the pasta. Let it reach room temperature and then taste to see if the dish needs more seasoning. If the pasta is a leftover that you want to serve cold the next day, adding chopped spinach or herbs such as parsley or cilantro, brings back the original bright, green color back to the dish. Add a few tablespoons of mayonnaise as well to give the salad moisture and creaminess.

Additions

• A variety of proteins, vegetables and herbs pair well with a cold pesto salad. Try bite-sized pieces of cooked chicken, lamb, shrimp or flaked salmon to make the salad a hearty main dish for dinner on a hot, summer evening. Or add grilled eggplant, zucchini, potatoes or fresh tomatoes if you need to increase the amount of the salad. Roasted red peppers, cut into strips that mimic the pasta, add color and flavor as well.