“My go-to dish for a backyard bbq. People fuss over it every time!”
This Layered Pasta Salad is not only visually appealing but also packed with a variety of textures and flavors. The creamy dressing coats layers of crisp lettuce, tender pasta, colorful vegetables, savory ham, and sharp cheddar cheese. It’s a perfect make-ahead salad for potlucks, picnics, or a satisfying light meal.
Ingredients:
Dressing:
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Mayonnaise | 1/2 cup |
| Sour Cream | ¾ cup |
| White Wine Vinegar | 2 teaspoons |
| Sugar | 1 teaspoon |
| Dijon Mustard | 2 teaspoons |
| Worcestershire Sauce | ½ teaspoon |
| Salt | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Black Pepper | ½ teaspoon |
Salad:
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Macaroni Pasta (cooked & drained) | 3 cups |
| Chopped Romaine Lettuce | 3 cups |
| Red Bell Pepper (diced) | Half of 1 pepper |
| Red Onion (finely diced) | ¼ cup |
| Frozen Green Peas (thawed) | ½ cup |
| Chopped Celery | ⅓ cup |
| Diced Ham | 1 ½ cups |
| Black Olives | ⅓ cup |
| Shredded Cheddar Cheese | ½ cup |
Instructions:
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, white wine vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and black pepper until smooth and well combined. Set aside.
- Layer the salad: In a large trifle bowl or a clear glass dish, begin layering the salad ingredients in the following order:
- First, add the chopped romaine lettuce to the bottom of the bowl.
- Next, layer the cooked and drained macaroni pasta over the lettuce.
- Follow with the diced red bell pepper, spreading it evenly.
- Sprinkle the finely diced red onion over the peppers.
- Add the thawed frozen green peas as the next layer.
- Spread the chopped celery evenly over the peas.
- Layer the diced ham over the celery.
- Distribute the black olives over the ham.
- Finally, pour the prepared dressing evenly over the top layer of olives.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese as the final layer on top of the dressing.
- Chill: Cover the trifle bowl or glass dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate the layered pasta salad for at least 5 hours to allow the flavors to meld together. For the best results, chilling overnight is recommended.
- Toss and serve: Just before serving, gently toss all the layers together to ensure the dressing coats all the ingredients. Serve immediately and enjoy this refreshing and flavorful layered pasta salad!
