Like other entries in the “carbs coated in mayo” category of side dishes, pasta salad is incredibly polarizing. When it’s good, I can’t stop eating it; when it’s bad, it’s inedible. I’ve found that the secret to really good pasta salad isn’t homemade mayo or a good jar of pickles—it’s really bad pasta. Specifically, overcooked pasta. To me, the single defining feature of a bad batch of pasta salad is crunchy noodles, which happens because starches solidify in cold temperatures.