Every time the phone rings during the NFL season I get a bit more nervous as to how many people are actually inbound for a meal. I love having company over and cooking, but the games elevate the hype and depending on the teams playing, depends on the number gathering in our home! As the big game day draws closer, I attempt to create items that are so easy to prepare, but really divine for munching. I love a good plate of carbs that also has a good taste. I have eaten so many pasta salads that lack taste, I can honestly tell you that I place a high regard on a good pasta salad and believe this is the one! This particular salad is easy to make, offers a few veggies and can be changed up by adding in your favorite raw veggies and the changes are endless. My mom used to make this for us as kids, after full days of swimming and I consumed so much that I thought I might turn into a piece of pasta! Here’s how I lavishly live food out loud when I prepare this easy-to-create pasta salad that offers color, nutrition and so little time, it’s Super Bowl fantastic!
Pasta Salad
You will need
1# of Pasta (short, long or anything you have open!)
1/2 C of chopped Red Onion
1 medium sized cucumber(peeled, and sliced thin)
1 Container, rinsed Grape Tomatoes(Optional)
1 Sm. Can of Drained, cut, black olives (optional)
3 TBSP Of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (tossed through pastas)
1 C of Italian Dressing(added a little at a time on COOLED pasta)
1/4 Cup Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese
Pasta Spice – Salad Supreme – Coat Generously with about 2 TBSP this gives great flavor, add it gradually and toss!
The How To Pasta Salad Prep
Boil Pasta, Drain and rinse with cold water, toss in the Extra Virgin Olive Oil. You will mix the pasta to all the other ingredients above, and add the Salad Supreme, little by little. When the salad is all assembled, tossed, sprinkle the top with the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese! Serve cooled.
Pasta Salad and how to cater to your Super Bowl Crowd
Additional adds are (tomato, black olives, pepperoncinis– chopped) And here’s an additional thought: as many people do not care for fresh tomatoes or the ‘guts’ of a tomato spilled through their salad, clean, rinse and dry small, grape tomatoes which makes an avoidable pick for those who don’t want them and for those who do!
Getting Creative With This Pasta Salad
It’s time to get a bit creative with this salad. Do you have a lot of boxes of pasta open in the pantry, all just about the same size? Go ahead and combine these different shapes and sizes, boiling them and cooking per boxed instructions. Once you get these all boiled you can drain, and lightly oil with veggie oil, just enough to keep them from sticking together.
For The Pasta
Make sure to rinse the pasta in COLD water as soon as it comes out and toss the olive oil through it to keep the pasta from sticking and absorbing all the dressing(which makes big, fat, disgustingly squishy noodles.)
Grab the Cutting Board For Pasta Salad
Chop up the onion, and the cucumber. Place ontop of pasta in a giant bowl. Add Italian Dressing (make sure the pasta is cool, because if it is not, the dressing will be absorbed into the pasta, rather than coating the pasta and this makes a large difference in the volume of dressing you would then need.
Add the Salad Supreme to the salad and toss. This salad looks amazing, tastes great and it is easy to prepare, while using up any of those ‘noodles’ you have left in your pantry. Remember if you add tomato and some basil or parsley the food suddenly looks more festive. Lavishly live the ‘Company is coming prophecy out loud” when you prepare this easy-to-make Pasta Salad.
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