Pizza Pasta Salad

Ahhhhhhh, the cooler days of autumn. What is it about the mild weather, bright blue skies, and turning leaves that would make a very UNsports NONfan like me think of football? Okay, I did my duty when the kids were in school and Marie was a cheerleader. I never missed a game. And I have never tailgated but it sounds like such fun!

Today I am sharing a pasta salad recipe that I think would be perfect for tailgating. That is, if I was of a mind to do it. The salad can be made in about 30 minutes. And because you make it ahead of time, it's ready to pack up and take along. Or you can serve it to your favorite football fans/couch potatoes.

This recipe was in one of the very first "Taste of Home" magazines to come out years ago. It makes a big bowl and I've rarely taken it anywhere that I didn't get requests for the recipe. I think it can be easily halved if you don't need that much salad.

This, friends, is "spiral" macaroni. Wonder how it got its name? Hey, wouldn't it be pretty to use tri-color spiral macaroni instead of the white? Go for it!

Now, isn't this pretty and colorful? Tasty, too.

Here it is all put together.Yummm! I'm going to divy up this salad into plastic containers and take it to the ladies at work. It will make their day!


Pizza Pasta Salad
1 pound spiral macaroni, cooked and drained
1 container grape tomatoes
16 oz. cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes
3 or 4 green onions, sliced
3 ounces sliced pepperoni (I cut the slices in half because I don't like such large pieces of pepperoni, but, guess what? Hormel now has pepperoni in tiny slices! Cute and the perfect size!)
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (the kind you find in the cheese section of the dairy. NOT the kind in the shaker can)
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
In a large bowl comine macaroni, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, green onions, and pepperoni. In a small bowl combine oil, Parmesan cheese, vinegar, and seasonings. Pour over macaroni mixture; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Yield: 16 servings

Happy cooking,
Nan