Summer Recipes-Creamy Pasta Salad

Well, if you’re following along, you should have a nice BBQ chicken dish to start your meal.

So what about the sides?

If you have a get together like I do, then someone brings a side of pasta salad.

One thing I have found, is that the pasta salad/potato salad/coleslaw in Michigan is HIGHLY different than anywhere else.  It has a creamy tang to it, with hints of mayo and mustard.  I’ve been to a lot of cookouts outside of Michigan, and the mayo use is greatly increased.  I’m not sure why, but it’s the truth.

After arguments with my husband over why he hates pasta salad (I never understood it!), we finally came to an agreement that low mayo count on a pasta salad is the way to go.  He actually cleaned the bowl on this one, which reminded me of the salads I had growing up.

Creamy Tomato Pasta Salad

1 1/2 dozen cherry tomatoes
1 bacon strip
1/2 Avocado
1/4 Cup Ranch dressing
1/8 Cup mayo
2 Tbs mustard
1 Tbs white vinegar
1 Egg – hardboiled
2 Cups pasta shells
Oil

Boil pasta until soft.  Remove from heat, and drain.  Lightly oil shells and put into refrigerator.

Hard boil 1 egg.  Once cooked, let cool.  Remove yolk and set aside.  Dice up egg white and place into pasta dish.

In oven, bake one dozen tomatoes with 1 strip of diced bacon.  Cook until tomatoes split.

Remove from oven and let cool.

In bowl, combine ranch dressing, mustard, mayo, vinegar, egg yolk, tomatoes from oven and bacon.  Blend together with immersion blender.

Dice up avocado, and remaining cherry tomatoes.  Place into pasta bowl.

Dress pasta with as much or as little of the pasta sauce as desired! Toss together until all ingredients are coated.

Serve!