I was recently caught ill prepared for dinner guests. Trying to settle my father into his new home and also nursing my family through a summer cold, I suddenly found myself under the gun to prepare a meal for unexpected guests. We decided on steaks for the grill, steamed green beans and pasta salad. In a panic, I raced to the store and glancing at my watch I knew I had no time to spare. I have a standard pasta salad recipe that I have been making for years that always pleases. I will include the recipe at the end of the article, but tonight was not the night for homemade. Tonight was a night for quick and easy. Racing through the aisles, I scooped up a box of Betty Crocker Suddenly Pasta Salad Classic. Who can you trust in a food panic more than Betty Crocker?
At my stove, I quickly perused the directions on the box. Boil water, empty pasta mix into pot and boil for twelve minutes. Easy! While the pasta was boiling, I stirred the seasoning packet with three tablespoons of cold water and two tablespoons of vegetable oil. Looking at the result, it didn’t look like enough to coat the pasta, but that was all there was.
The pasta needed to be boiled for more than twelve minutes. It was at least fourteen minutes before the pasta was tender enough to remove from the boiling water. I drained and rinsed the pasta with cold water. After mixing the pasta with the seasoning mix, it still didn’t look like all the pasta was coated sufficiently with the seasoning to be tasty. I quickly scanned my refrigerator for any additions I could add to the pasta salad to jazz it up a bit. I had a container of grape tomatoes and added them to the bowl. I still wasn’t sure that Betty Crocker Suddenly Pasta Salad Classic would pass muster at the dinner table, but at least I had a meal for my guests!
I was pleasantly surprised after tasting the pasta salad with dinner. Betty Crocker Suddenly Pasta Salad Classic was perfect in a pinch. The seasoning was zesty and added adequate flavor without being overwhelming. The grape tomatoes made a perfect addition to the basic pasta salad. I would recommend serving Betty Crocker Suddenly Pasta Salad Classic as a base pasta salad dish. Add your own added ingredients such as tomatoes, cheese, pepperoni. or olives. Betty Crocker Suddenly Pasta Salad Classic was a real lifesaver for me and I would definitely buy it again.
For a delicious pasta salad made from scratch, try this recipe my family has served for years.
One pound of pasta of your choice
One half cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
One half cup of olive oil
Three tablespoons of Red Wine Vinegar
One Clove of minced Garlic
One Teaspoon of Dried Basil Leaves
One Teaspoon of Salt
One eighth of a Teaspoon of Pepper
One Fourth of a Cup of Parmesan Cheese
Four Ounces of Pepperoni
Add ingredients to pasta while still warm. Enjoy!
