‘Loaded Baked Potato’ Pasta Salad
Why I Love This Recipe
This ‘end of Summer’ pasta salad is filled with a creamy & tangy dressing, crisp green onions, crunchy bacon and shreds of cheddar cheese. It's perfect for barbecues, showers and dinners al fresco. Totally addicting and as I've been told, one for the record books!
Submitted by: "Jessica Reddick Gatlin"
Ingredients You'll Need
1 (16 oz) box whole-wheat medium shells
1 lb bacon, cooked, cooled and chopped
1/2 c olive-oil mayonnaise
1 c fat-free sour cream
1 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 lb bacon, cooked, cooled and chopped
8 green onions, chopped
1-1/2 c cheddar cheese, shredded
Directions
Boil 4 quarts of water and, if desired, salt to taste.
Add pasta to boiling water, stirring vigorously until water begins boiling again (about 30 seconds).
Cook 7 to 9 minutes, or longer until desired tenderness.
Do not overcook! Drain and set pasta aside.
Cook the bacon in a large skillet.
Once crispy, drain and let cool.
Crumble into bite-size pieces.
Mix the mayonnaise and sour cream in a small bowl, seasoning with the kosher salt and pepper.
Add to the pasta, along with the bacon, green onion and cheddar cheese.
Season with more salt and pepper, if desired.
Refrigerate for 3 hours, up to overnight, before serving.