When having leftovers for dinner, I like to add something “just made” to the menu. Sometimes it might be a few hot cheese biscuits fresh from the oven. On other occasions, a wholesome vegetable pasta salad sounds great. A couple of evenings ago, I planned to enjoy a garden salad with some leftover Cabbage with Sausage. In fact, I had been thinking of making some Thousand Island Dressing to top it off.
When I discovered there wasn’t enough lettuce in the house, pasta replaced the greens. I decided to stick with the planned flavor and mixed it with the Thousand Island Dressing. This concoction was found as early as 1900 in a New Orleans cookbook. Interesting since it was likely originally developed in the Thousand Island area on the St. Lawrence River which flows between the U.S.and Canada. It is made with all sorts of ingredients, but I’ve kept it simple here hoping you will have all of the needed items on hand.
- 6 Ounces Uncooked Elbow, Bow Tie or Other Bite-sized Pasta (I used Penne)
- ⅓ Cup Chopped Fresh Broccoli
- ⅓ Cup Carrots Cut into Matchsticks
- ⅓ Cup Chopped Yellow Onion
- ¼ Cup Chopped Celery
- ¼ Cup Diced Red and/or Green Bell Pepper
- ½ Medium Zucchini Sliced into ¼" Thick Coins, Then Halved (Optional)
- ½ Cup Mayonnaise
- ¼ Cup Catsup
- 3 Tablespoons Sweet Pickle Relish
- 1 Tablespoon Honey (Preferred) or Sugar
- 6 Pimento-Stuffed Green Olives Chopped
- 12 Small Capers Chopped (If you don't have these, no worries)
- ¼ Cup Milk
- 1 Pinch Chili Powder
- Salt to Taste
- 4 Twists of the Black Pepper Grinder
- Cook the pasta according to the package's instructions. Drain in a colander and rinse well with water to cool it; drain again. Pour the pasta into a large bowl.
- Add all other ingredients to the bowl with the pasta. Stir well and correct for salt and pepper. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. By the way, the milk is added because the pasta will soak up some liquid ... better a little milk than our dressing!
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