 The noodles can be spread out to cool and will not stick together because of the layer of oil on their surfaces.In Australian and New Zealand cuisine, pasta salad became increasingly popular during the 1990s when commercial versions became more readily available in supermarket stores across both Australia, and New Zealand.It is made of cooked pasta pieces (usually either shell pasta, elbow shaped pasta or penne) covered in mayonnaise and accompanied by carrots, capsicum (bell peppers), and sometimes celery.