warm or cold. ideas?

Depends.

Warm pasta salad??? Ewwwwwwwwwwwww

pasta "dish." better?

Cold. Are you looking for recipes, or just a vote on which people prefer?

You can sautee diced onions, garlic, and mushrooms, season it with salt and pepper, and mix it with pasta of your choice.

recipies please. sorry it wasn't clear in the OP.

Easy:

(works well with multicolored spirals)

Cook pasta.
Drain (and rinse in cold water if desired.)
Add frozen veggies (don't bother defrosting them).
Add italian salad dressing.
Put in fridge.
Take out later and eat.


Fancier:

(works well with penne)

Cook pasta.
Drain (and rinse in cold water if desired)
Add black olives sliced in half.
Add cherry tomatoes sliced in half.
Add english cucumber cut in half circles.
Mix with olive oil, a splash of lemon juice, and some basil.
Put in fridge.
Take out later and enjoy (I'm craving it just typing this.)

room temperature is good actually!

other dressing is mayo thinned with vinegar or lemon juice. Which makes it more like deli style macaroni salad I know. Rotelle with mayo and lemon is good with tuna.

I add whatever veggies I have handy and which are good raw--I like diced bell peppers and red onions. Sometimes celery, and tomato if I have good ones.

I usually make pasta salad in a hurry so I've never tried sauteeing veggies!

cook spaghetti
add olive oil
garlic powder
salt
basil

Cook linguini in one pot.
In a separate pot stir fry diced green pepper and red onion
in a separate pot fry sesame seeds

Mix all together
add soy sauce and sugar.

Mix and enjoy!

Easy pasta salad

elbow pasta
mayonnaise
salt
black pepper
lemon juice
a little olive oil
and green olives