Community Corner

My Cheating Heart Summer Pasta Salad

The use of one store-bought item made a big difference in making this pasta salad.

 

When I was assembling the ingredients to make a pasta salad last weekend, I saw a half-full container of Stop & Shop's summer coleslaw in my fridge and thought, "perfect!" 

What is coleslaw but cut-up veggies in mayonnaise dressing? It might be cheating a bit, I thought, but it's what I usually add to pasta salad anyway, so why not?

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After I tossed the cooked and cooled pasta with the coleslaw, it pretty much WAS pasta salad.  I then added things I had on hand such as tomato, basil, olives and tuna.  If I had a cucumber I would have added it. Parmesan cheese or a little crumbled feta cheese would be nice, too. You could easily add chopped cooked chicken or cooked shrimp instead of the tuna. 

My Cheating Heart Summer Pasta Salad

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Serves 8

1 lb. pasta of your choice - I used Barilla's spinach wagon wheels, cooked al dente and rinsed in cold water

About 1 cup store-bought or home-made coleslaw

1 tomato, diced

1/2 cup sliced green olives

About 5 fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 can solid white tuna, drained

dressing:  about 1/2 cup mayonnaise mixed with 2 T red wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients and toss well.  Add more dressing if the mixture is too dry or depending upon your preferences.


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