Shelly's Recipe

7 Layer Pasta Salad

Category: Pasta Salads

About 6 to 8 servings

For the Dressing:
1 package of dry Ranch salad dressing mix
1 cup of real mayonnaise
1 cup of buttermilk
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons of granulated sugar
1/8 cup sliced green onion
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning, or to taste, optional
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

For the Salad:
2 cups of fresh chopped broccoli
1/4 pound of farfalle bowtie pasta (about 2 cups dry)
2 cups thinly shredded lettuce
2 cups chopped cooked chicken, smoked ham or turkey
1 cup of frozen green peas, thawed
1 large slicing tomato, seeded and diced
1-1/2 cups of shredded cheese
For the Garnish:
2 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 tablespoon of sliced green onion

Mix the salad dressing ingredients and set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add plenty of salt. Add the raw broccoli, return to a boil and let cook for about a minute. Remove and plunge the broccoli into iced water to stop the cooking process, but reserve the water for cooking the pasta. Add the pasta and cook al dente according to the package directions. Drain and rinse pasta with cold water to stop the cooking process; set aside until cooled and no longer steaming.

When ready to prepare the salad, toss the pasta with 2 tablespoons of the dressing mix. To layer, add lettuce to the bottom of a clear bowl approximately 3 quarts in size, and top with layers of the meat, broccoli, pasta, peas, tomatoes and the cheese. Pour the remaining dressing on top and if serving right away, sprinkle the top with the chopped bacon and 1 tablespoon of sliced green onions. Toss before serving.

May also prepare, cover and refrigerate up to 6 hours. Bring to room temperature and wait to add garnishes before serving.

Notes:Substitute 2 cups of a bottled Ranch or other flavored dressing if desired. May also use different pasta shapes or cooked cheese tortellini, and substitute thawed, frozen broccoli in place of the fresh. Substitute other cooked proteins, such as seafood.

Additional suggestions for layers: Sliced or chopped red or sweet onion, sliced or chopped red, green or yellow bell peppers, drained, chopped pimentos or roasted red peppers, sliced or roughly chopped boiled eggs, sliced black or green olives, chopped avocado that has been tossed in fresh lime juice, well drained and chopped marinated artichoke hearts, fresh pan sauteed or steamed chopped asparagus, or a variety of canned beans that have been drained and rinsed are all good choices.