I always cool the pasta before I put the dressing on it, and I add a little bit of olive oil to the pasta. I don't like it with just mayo, so I use half mayo and half sour cream. I usually add ranch dressing mix to it (using ranch dressing is not the same). I'm eating lower-carb now so I replace half the pasta with cooked cauliflower, cut small, and it blends perfectly.
Here's the recipe I usually use:
8 oz pasta, cooked and drained, rinsed until cool, tossed with 1 tbsp olive oil
1 can Le Sueur peas, drained
1 carrot, grated finely
1 bunch green onions, chopped small
1 regular-size (about 2 oz) package real bacon bits
1 cup mozzarella (you can sub cheddar)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayo
2 tbsp powdered ranch dressing mix
1 tsp onion powder
Mix sour cream and mayo, add ranch mix and onion powder, stir well. Add bacon, carrot, green onions and mozzarella and stir. Add pasta and stir until coated. Gently stir in the peas.
My kids like to put the pasta in a salad spinner to get all the water out, then drizzle the olive oil over it and spin it some more. I usually just drain the pasta in a colander and add the oil to it while it's in the colander. It comes out the same either way.
Here's my mac and cheese recipe too
8 oz pasta, cooked and drained well (stir a few times in the colander to get the water all out)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard (or a couple tsp of prepared mustard if you're out of dry)
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cups sharp cheddar
Preheat oven to 350. Melt butter in skillet, add flour. Cook until bubbly, then add milk and seasonings. Stir until it boils, mashing any lumps with the spatula. Once it boils and thickens, remove from heat and add cheddar. Stir until melted. Stir in pasta. Spray casserole dish with nonstick spray, then put the macaroni in and bake for 25 or 30 minutes, until it's bubbly and the top is golden brown in a few places.
And alfredo pasta:
8 oz pasta, cooked and drained
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 tbsp minced garlic (or less if you prefer)
2 cups milk
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Melt butter in skillet, cook garlic for a minute or two but don't let it get really dark. Add flour, cook until bubbly. Add milk and seasonings and stir until it boils, mashing any flour lumps with the spatula. Once it boils, turn off the heat and add the parmesan, then the noodles.
You can also cook some diced boneless chicken breast in the butter and garlic, then add the flour and make the sauce, that works fine too. I have substituted 1 cup sour cream for 1 cup of the milk but that makes a very rich and thick sauce.
I can't eat any of these things anymore (can't have all the carbs), all I can do is talk about them. But they were delicious when I could still eat them. I made the pasta salad on Mother's day with cauliflower instead of part of the pasta so that I could eat it and it was delicious. My kids couldn't tell that there was cauliflower in it at all.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Amazon is cheaper with 6 jars for $17.58 with no shipping charge with Prime (which I have). That's a little less that $3.00 a jar.
