What’s this salad of gray lumps in white dressing

The main things that Parmesan cheese can add to a salad are fattiness and salt. The first thing that comes to mind for me is bacon. You could probably also make a yummy main dish salad (or hearty first course) by adding duck or a cured meat such as salami.

If you're not interested in adding meat, how about olives? Those would serve similar purposes. Other options might be marinated artichoke hearts or mushrooms. Just make sure you choose ones that aren't too tart, as they might add to the effect of the lemon vinaigrette.

Penne or fusilli work well in pasta salads. The key to cooking pasta well is:

• Use as big a pan as possible, with plenty of water, to dilute the starch that comes out of the pasta.
• Add plenty of salt - a good couple of tablespoons of sea salt, more for a big pan.
• Get the water to a proper rolling boil, add the pasta, stir, put the lid on the pan to get it up to the boil again quickly. There is no need to add oil if you do this.

Cook the pasta as per packet instructions, but check it a couple of minutes before it should be ready. You want it to have a bit of bite, not be totally soft.

Get your dressing onto the pasta ASAP to prevent it from drying out, and drizzle with good olive oil to help it last longer.