COLORFUL PASTA SALAD

Colorful Pasta Salad image

30 years ago someone brought this pasta salad to a potluck, and I actually liked it! (I was not a pasta salad fan) After 20 years of changing and tweaking it - it has become a staple of our household and a real crowd pleaser at potlucks. I am regularly TOLD to bring this to family gatherings when all else get to choose what they...

Provided by 'Ria Murphy

Time 25m

Number Of Ingredients 13

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Ingredients

1 can(s) black olives
1 pkg imitation crab flakes (substituting ham chunks works here, but i like the crab flake better)
1 pkg tri color noodles (i prefer spirals, but bowties, and kids shapes work great too!)
1 pkg mexican blend shredded cheese
1 jar(s) miracle whip salad dressing
1 small jar sweet gherkins with 1/2 the juice
1 1/2 tsp turmeric, ground
1 1/2 tsp paprika
optional:
4 eggs, hard boiled
1 pkg bacon bits
1 c peas, frozen
1 c salad shrimp (if ya feel like splurging)

Steps:

1. I have made this with the bare minimum of ingredients, and with all the ingredients and varying amounts in between, it always still tasted good! I've even made it with plain macaroni noodles, I just prefer the tricolored noodles because they make the salad prettier.
2. Boil noodles for 7 minutes, drain and cool in large bowl.
3. Add all ingredients (minus noodles, miracle whip and shredded cheese) to a food processor and chop to a very fine texture (this can be done by hand too but takes longer)- no chunk larger than 1/2 cm (think baby food textures).
4. Add all processed ingredients to the bowl with the noodles and mix well.
5. Using a wooden spoon, one spoonful at a time add and stir in Miracle Whip until you like the texture of the salad, (some like it drier, some like it "goopier").
6. Once you have all mixed together, slowly fold in handfuls of shredded cheese - to taste - and finally top the finished salad with a little more of the grated cheese.
7. It should be noted: (1) if this salad sits overnight in the refrigerator, it tastes even better, but needs a little more miracle whip (or a small amount of milk)added to it the next day as it dries a bit from noodle absorption. (2) Due to the vinegar in the pickle juice, this should not be stored more than a day in a non coated metal pan.

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