“I have looked all over for a great Creamy Pasta Salad; this one is it! It’s easy and is a huge hit at every function I take it to. The sauce for this is a great creamy sauce. I like my salads to have a lot of creamy dressing, so I always make an extra half batch of the wet mix and add it as necessary to get the salad wetter because the pasta soaks up the sauce.”

what you need:

½ box-shaped pasta

1 head of broccoli, chopped

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

½ pkg mini pepperonis (regular size is ok, too)

8 Monterey Jack cheese sticks (snack sticks) cut into chunks (you can use any kind of cheese, but we always have these around, and it is easy to just slice them up!)

3 medium carrots, chopped

Ranch dressing (We use the packet to make our own…much better tasting)

how to make it:

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package, adding a generous tablespoon or so of kosher salt to the water as it cooks. Just before the noodles are done cooking, add the broccoli to the pot. Let the broccoli boil for about 30 seconds and then drain everything into a large colander. Rinse well with cold water.

 Stir together the mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, pepper, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the cooked pasta and broccoli to the bowl and stir well to coat. Add the cucumber, pepper, and onions and stir again. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Stir again just before serving. Enjoy!