I never liked eating hotdogs with a ton of mayo-based dressing on top. For me, mayonnaise is just a creamy, tangy dressing needed for something that has an all-too-strong of a flavor. Ketchup and maybe a little cheese sauce is enough for me (can't say no to cheese). So whenever I'd buy the cheap hotdogs and bread from the convenience store as a quick snack or buy two as a meal, I keep the dressing and just slather some ketchup. I find that the dressing they provide overpowers the hotdog, but that's me.
So, some time this week my wonderful boyfriend suggested we use the dressing from the convenience stores on a pasta salad I was craving to make. Sure enough, it was perfect! I didn't have to make a dressing or vinaigrette.
Basic Pasta Salad
(Serves 3-4 people)
200g uncooked pasta (macaroni, fusilli, or other tube pastas), boiled and drained
4 pcs native tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 cucumber, diced
1 small can tuna, drained
4 packs convenience store dressing (the ones they give for free when you buy hotdogs)*
1 tsp salt
1 clove garlic, minced/crushed finely (optional)
1 pc apple, cored and diced
1 small head of lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces (optional)
Handfuls of crutons (optional)
Parmesan Cheese (optional)
1. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente.
2. While waiting for the pasta to cook, place tomatoes and cucumber in a bowl. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of salt and let it sit for about 10-15 minutes. It will make your salad less watery and enhance the taste.
3. In another bowl, add the packets of dressing, drained tuna, apples, maybe some fancy cheese or cubed processed cheese you have lying around (optional) or make your own*. Add the cooked and drained pasta as well as the salted vegetables with the juices drained as well. We don't want a watery salad here.
4. Chill for at least 1 hour and serve on a bed of chilled lettuce.
5. Top with Parmesan and/or croutons.
Note: You can add a boiled egg or bacon or fried spam into the salad if you're not big on having canned tuna/salmon.
It's deliciously glorious, I swear.
*If you don't have any convenience store dressing lying around, you can make your own pasta salad dressing:
1/4 cup+1tbsp or 1 sachet of mayonnaise (80ml)
2 tbsp pickle relish
1 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1 pinch pepper
1/2 small onion, finely diced
1 small clove garlic, grated
Combine everything in a bowl and mix. Won't taste similarly to the manhattan dressing but would taste great with the pasta salad nonetheless.
So, some time this week my wonderful boyfriend suggested we use the dressing from the convenience stores on a pasta salad I was craving to make. Sure enough, it was perfect! I didn't have to make a dressing or vinaigrette.
Basic Pasta Salad
(Serves 3-4 people)
200g uncooked pasta (macaroni, fusilli, or other tube pastas), boiled and drained
4 pcs native tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 cucumber, diced
1 small can tuna, drained
4 packs convenience store dressing (the ones they give for free when you buy hotdogs)*
1 tsp salt
1 clove garlic, minced/crushed finely (optional)
1 pc apple, cored and diced
1 small head of lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces (optional)
Handfuls of crutons (optional)
Parmesan Cheese (optional)
1. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente.
2. While waiting for the pasta to cook, place tomatoes and cucumber in a bowl. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of salt and let it sit for about 10-15 minutes. It will make your salad less watery and enhance the taste.
3. In another bowl, add the packets of dressing, drained tuna, apples, maybe some fancy cheese or cubed processed cheese you have lying around (optional) or make your own*. Add the cooked and drained pasta as well as the salted vegetables with the juices drained as well. We don't want a watery salad here.
4. Chill for at least 1 hour and serve on a bed of chilled lettuce.
5. Top with Parmesan and/or croutons.
Note: You can add a boiled egg or bacon or fried spam into the salad if you're not big on having canned tuna/salmon.
It's deliciously glorious, I swear.
*If you don't have any convenience store dressing lying around, you can make your own pasta salad dressing:
1/4 cup+1tbsp or 1 sachet of mayonnaise (80ml)
2 tbsp pickle relish
1 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1 pinch pepper
1/2 small onion, finely diced
1 small clove garlic, grated
Combine everything in a bowl and mix. Won't taste similarly to the manhattan dressing but would taste great with the pasta salad nonetheless.
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