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Okay, before the name spooks you, hang on a second. This bloody mary pasta salad is nothing to be intimidated by and not to be shied away from – it’s chock-full of delicious add-ins, so it’s got tons of flavor and is sure to be the most interesting dish at the party! To rewind a bit, bloody mary cocktails are rather an acquired taste, what with tomato juice being the base with splashes of worcestershire sauce, horseradish and hot sauce thrown in for good measure. Assertive, yet totally delicious, we took the classic brunch staple as our inspiration and turned the famous beverage into a full meal!

Skipping the vodka that typically goes into a bloody mary means 1) this is a side dish that anyone and everyone can enjoy, and 2) there’s a little less bite which means all the flavors go together smoothly and balance each other out. So what flavors are we talking about here? Well obviously the dressing is tomato-based, that’s a given; we used tomato vinaigrette dressing and cocktail sauce, which we punched up with the aforementioned worcestershire, horseradish and hot sauce…which really showcase the glorious extras we put in there! Along with the macaroni, we used cherry tomatoes, celery, green and red bell peppers, red onion, bacon, pimento-stuffed olives and mozzarella.

Uhh hello?! This salad makes for the ultimate side dish, with something in there that everyone will love. And even though we came up with the idea and were fully onboard with it, we too were a bit skeptical of the color, but once we took that first bite we were totally and completely sold. It tastes reminiscent of old school pasta salad, but with so much more flavor and yummy additions that it really is unbeatable.

Yield(s): Serves 6-8

20 minutes

4.7
Rated 4.7 out of 5
Rated by 14 reviewers
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you're making mealtime meaningful.
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Ingredients
  • Dressing:
  • 2/3 cup tomato vinaigrette dressing
  • 1/3 cup cocktail sauce
  • 3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon horseradish
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons hot sauce
  • Salad:
  • 12 oz. macaroni pasta, cooked and drained
  • 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup celery, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup cooked bacon, crumbled
  • 1 cup green bell pepper, cut into squares
  • 1 cup red bell pepper, cut into squares
  • 1/2 cup red onion, sliced
  • 1/2 cup green pimento-stuffed olives, chopped
  • 8 oz. fresh mozzarella, cubed
Preparation
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together tomato vinaigrette dressing, cocktail sauce, worcestershire sauce, horseradish and hot sauce.
  2. In a large bowl, add cooked macaroni, tomatoes, celery, bacon, bell peppers, red onion, olives and mozzarella.
  3. Pour dressing over salad, then toss together before serving.

Recipe adapted from My Food and Family


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