One day, I wanted to make pasta salad, but I didn’t have all of the ingredients on hand to make  my usual recipe.  Rather than make a trip to the store, I decided to work with what I had on hand; a useful skill – Chopped ain’t got nothin’ on me!   The results were well-received by my husband, who is my chief taste-tester.  He declared it “the best pasta salad you’ve ever made” and decided it should be called Hollywood Salad, because it’s a star.

Please enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb medium shell pasta,  cooked & cooled
• One each: Red, yellow, & orange bell pepper, medium diced
• 2 large jalepeno peppers, seeded & small diced
• 4 large ears corn, cooked & removed from cob (about 2 cups)
• 6 green onions, chopped

For dressing:

• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup fresh cilantro, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh dill, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh chives, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• Salt & pepper to taste

Fill a large pot with water and place on high heat to bring to boil; salt generously – it should taste like the sea.  While waiting for water to boil, start the dressing.  Put buttermilk* in a medium-sized bowl, and whisk in sour cream & mayonnaise.  Mince the herbs and add to buttermilk mixture.   Make a paste of the garlic  and whisk into the dressing. Taste the dressing and add pepper, and more salt, if needed.  Set aside while you work on the rest of the salad.

By this time, your water should be boiling.  Add the corn, and blanch for five minutes.  Remove the corn with tongs and place in a dish to cool.  Add the uncooked pasta to the water and cook according to the package directions.  Using the same water as the corn will help impart that delicious corn flavor throughout the salad.

Cut up your peppers and onions while the pasta is cooking, and place them in a large mixing bowl.  Remove corn from the cob,  and add to this bowl.

Once pasta has finished cooking, drain in a colander and rinse with cold water until completely cooled.  Shake colander several times and allow to sit for several minutes to remove as much water as possible.  Add the pasta to the vegetables, and stir until thoroughly mixed.  Add the dressing, and stir again.  Check once more for seasoning and add salt/pepper if needed. Place into storage container or serving bowl, cover and chill for at least one hour.  Stir again before serving.

*If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own by using a ratio of 1 cup milk to 1 tablespoon white vinegar OR fresh lemon juice, combine & let sit for 10 minutes.

K..