Pasta Salad

Here is another lovely Pasta Salad that I like to serve with BBQ foods.  It is a variation on the Veggie salad, but with tri-color rotini pasta.

Pasta Salad

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 12-16 oz tri-color Rotini Pasta
• 1 large cucumber, peeled and cut into bite size chunks (remove the seeds if they are large)
• 1 package grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 large yellow bell pepper, cut into bite size pieces
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 can ripe olives, drained
• 3/4 cup Italian dressing (I used a roasted red pepper Italian dressing that is quite yummy)

Instructions:

Cook the pasta according to package directions.  Drain and shock with cold water to bring the temperature down.  Combine the pasta, veggies and the dressing. Toss.  Chill and serve.

Amish Macaroni Salad

I’ve said I was a fan of allrecipes.com before and I will say it again.  I made this macaroni salad because I had little else in the fridge to eat for lunch, so I made this recipe.  I made a few changes to the original (the original recipe called for 3/4 cups of sugar!  – that sounds way too sweet to me for the amount of salad; I also reduced the amount of celery and changed the onion to 1/4 cup sweet onion- like Walla Walla, Maui or Vidalia).  Never the less, after tweaking the recipe it is quite yummy!

I love Macaroni Salads that have eggs in them and this is one.  Next time I will add some chopped fresh dill or parsley to brighten it up a little.

Amish Macaroni Salad

adapted from allrecipes.com

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
• 3 hard boiled eggs, chopped
• 1/4 cup sweet onion (like Maui, Vidalia or Walla Walla_
• 2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, chopped (I used 3/4 cup chopped roasted bell peppers from the jar)
• 2 Tbsp pickle relish
• 2 cups Mayonnaise
• 3 Tbsp prepared Dijon Mustard
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 1/4 tsp white vinegar (or champagne vinegar is really nice here)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp celery seed (I used Mc Cormick’s Salad Supreme seasoning)
• 2 tsp fresh minced parsley or dill (optional)

Directions:

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil.  Add Macraroni and cook according to package directions.  Drain, rinse, and cool completely.

In a large bowl combine the remaining ingredients and stir them together.  Pour the dressing mix over the cooled macaroni and stir to combine.  Cover with plastic wrap and cool at least 1 hour.  Enjoy.

Warm Italian-Style Pasta Salad

Italian Pasta Salad

I originally found a recipe in “Taste of Home” Magazine that was an Italian Pasta, but I accidentally heated it up the first time I made and we discovered we loved it that way.  Plus it had grated carrots in the original and we didn’t like it.. so a few changes later it is mine!

Italian Style Pasta Salad
Serves 6
Ingredients

• 14 1/2    ounces Tomatoes, with garlic and onion — canned
• 16    ounces    Caesar Dressing — Marie’s is good
• 2        Onions, Green — thinly sliced
• 15    ounces    Artichokes, Canned — hearts, cut up
• 20    ounces    Tortellini pasta, Cheese — refrigerated
• 1    medium    Green Pepper — chopped
• 6    ounces    Olives, Ripe — drained, pitted
• 3    ounces    Pepperoni — sliced, mild
• 1/2    cup    Cheese, Parmesan — shredded

Instructions

In a 13x9x2 inch baking dish combine first 7 ingredients.  Add cooked tortellini pasta and toss to coat.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, cover with foil and heat at 325° F for 30 minutes.

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