When I was assembling the ingredients to make a pasta salad last weekend, I saw a half-full container of Stop & Shop's summer coleslaw in my fridge and thought, "perfect!"
What is coleslaw but cut-up veggies in a mayonnaise dressing? It might be cheating a bit, I thought, but it's what I usually add to pasta salad anyway, so why not?
After I tossed the cooked and cooled pasta with the coleslaw, it pretty much WAS pasta salad. I then added items I had on hand such as tomato, basil, olives and tuna. If I had a cucumber I would have added it. Parmesan cheese or a little crumbled feta cheese would be nice, too. You could easily add chopped cooked chicken or cooked shrimp instead of the tuna.
My Cheating Heart Summer Pasta Salad
Serves 8
1 lb. pasta of your choice - I used Barilla's spinach wagon wheels, cooked al dente and rinsed in cold water
About 1 cup store-bought or home-made coleslaw
1 tomato, diced
1/2 cup sliced green olives
About 5 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 can solid white tuna, drained
dressing: about 1/2 cup mayonnaise mixed with 2 T red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Combine all the ingredients and toss well. Add more dressing if the mixture is too dry or depending upon your preferences.
