This is a good alternative to a standard ranch pasta salad to take on a picnic or barbeque as it does not contain any mayonnaise and holds up a bit better as the pasta is firmer.
1 lb box bowtie pasta
Cook according to directions on the box, drain and place in large bowl. Add 2 tbsp of margarine, olive oil and and toss to distribute (keeps pasta from sticking together). Put in fridge while you prepare dressing.
Dressing:
- 1 pkg. Ranch dressing packet (Hidden Valley brand is recommended)
- 1 3 oz can finely chopped black olives
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt
- 1/2 tsp dill
- 1/2 cup shredded paremsan or Italian cheese
Mix dressing together throughly using the above ingredients.
Remove the pasta salad from the fridge and pour in 1 1/2 cups of the above dressing and toss. If you want your salad to be creamier, you could use the entire 2 cups of the above dressing that was made.
Other add-ins to this salad are:
- Sunflower seeds
- Green olives
- Finely chopped red or green pepper
If pressed for space in small cooler, you could put the pasta salad in a zip lock bag.
If it is going to be left out for a period of time, you could take a larger bowl, fill it full of ice and pour the pasta salad into a smaller bowl that you put inside the larger one and cover it with a plate for easy access (but keep the bugs out).
