After accidentally making Cannellini Thousand Island Dressing this weekend, I needed to find a way to put it to use. Pasta salad was the answer to my predicament. It didn’t require a trip to the market, and it also helped me get rid of some pasta that I’ve had kicking around in my pantry. I’m in major clean-out mode as of late; if it’s sat too long or doesn’t serve a purpose it’s gotta be used or thrown out. I’m usually not a huge fan of pasta salad, because they always sort of taste like plain ol’ pasta to me, but this one turned out pretty good, and now I don’t have to worry about making lunch for the rest of the week. That’s a good thing, because surprise, I have a job interview today. If all goes well I’ll be meeting with the actual client later on this week as well, so I could potentially be a busy girl. One thing’s for sure, I’m nervous; but I guess that’s fairly normal considering I haven’t had a job interview in over twenty years. Wish me luck! Oh and by the way, Cannellini Thousand Island Dressing tastes amazing on calamari; I’ve been relying on whatever’s in the freezer for lunch, which can sometimes be pleasurable, but at other times not so much. Calamari is always a thumbs up, but served alongside this pasta salad with a little extra dressing for dipping, WOWZERS!!!
Ingredients:
- 8-oz. Fusilli or Spiral Pasta
- 3/4 Cup to 1 Cup Cannellini Thousand Island Dressing
- 2 Large Carrots, Finely Diced
- 3 Chopped Scallions
- 1/4 Cup Pimento-Stuffed Green Olives, Finely Chopped
- 3 Hard-Boiled Eggs, Finely Chopped
- Sea Salt
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Directions:
- Boil pasta according to package instructions.
- Drain and then rinse pasta under cold running water for a minute or two.
- Place the pasta in a large bowl with the Cannellini Thousand Island Dressing, carrots, scallions, green olives, and hard-boiled eggs. Stir together with a spatula, and then add salt and pepper to taste.
Suggestions:
- You may use more or less Cannellini Thousand Island Dressing; depending on how dry or wet you prefer your pasta salad. Remember that the pasta will soak up much of the dressing as it sets.
- Serve over a bed of greens, garnished with diced pimentos and whole pimento-stuffed green olives.
- Refrigerate the pasta salad for a few hours before serving, allowing the flavors to come together.
Improvements:
- Add crumbled bacon or diced ham to turn this pasta salad into a main dish.
- Diced celery and/or green, yellow, or red peppers would be a great addition to this pasta salad.
- Add finely diced cheese.
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Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck
-Colleen
