Confetti Pasta Salad

Weather here in Colorado has been wonderfully warm and sunny! I have been enjoying more walks around my neighborhood and in the park across the street as well as other spots around town.

Many people have been out picnicking in the park. I was hoping to plan one for us but the weather went from sunny in the 80’s to snowy in the 30’s. I am not complaining because we really need the moisture or the wildfires will be bad this summer.  Still, I am looking forward to the end of the week when it is supposed to be sunny and warm again! If we do pack a picnic lunch, I will make this salad again to take with us!

This is kind of a vintage pasta salad. I remember eating macaroni salad similar to this when I was a kid. The macaroni salad did not have as many veggies as mine does so this one is updated vintage J

Since this is a vintage salad, I put it in my antique bee-hive bowl which was handed down
from my great grandmother to my mother to me.

Confetti Pasta Salad

1 box ditalini pasta or small elbows or small shells

1 small red onion

2  bell peppers of various colors, I used half a pepper of each red, yellow, orange and green

2 pieces of celery

2 TBSP olive oil

¼ -2/3 cup reduced fat mayonnaise, begin with 1/4 cup and add more if needed 

2-3 tsp mustard, Dijon, honey or whatever you like

1-2 TBSP white wine vinegar

1 tsp salt (more or less to taste)

½ tsp parika

½ tsp. thyme

1/2 tsp lemon pepper

Start to boil a large pot of salted water. Once it reaches a rolling boil, add pasta.

Clean and chop all vegetables into small cube-like pieces of somewhat equal size.  

In a large bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients together starting with about a ¼ cup of mayonnaise and 1 TBSP of vinegar, you can add more later if needed. I like to use maynaise made with olive oil but any light mayo will work.

Once the pasta is done, drain it and rinse with cool water. Let it cool a bit and then add pasta to the dressing.  Mix well, if it is dry add a bit more mayonnaise and vinegar. I usually use about a 1/3 - ½  cup of mayo but it just depends. If you get to a half cup of mayonnaise and it is still not very creamy, try adding a bit more olive oil.

Add the vegetables and blend. Refrigerate for at least an hour but better for several hours.

Here are a few pictures from a walk we took near my husband’s work place. I hope to bring lunch with us on our next walk. I hope you have a picnic in your near future and perhaps you can take this salad with you!

Great Heron

Gadwell ducks

Turtles sunning