Bloody Mary Pasta Salad
Bloody Mary pasta salad gives you the taste of the classic brunch drink in a delicious variation of macaroni salad. A zippy dressing coats rotini and vegetables for a dressed up picnic side dish.
There are two types of people when it comes to brunch cocktails: those who love mimosas and those who love a good bloody Mary.
It’s sort of a sweet versus savory thing and I have to tell you, while I’m mainly a mimosa person there are times when nothing sounds better than a zesty bloody Mary.
What is a Bloody Mary?
A Bloody Mary is a drink that combines tomato juice, vodka, celery and sometimes olives, and spices like Worcestershire and hot sauces.
Fun fact: a bloody Mary is one of the most popular hair of the dog drinks thanks to its combo of veggies, salt and alcohol.
The veggies are supposed to be cleansing and settle the stomach while the salt helps replace any lost electrolytes.
And of course a shot of vodka to help ease hangover related aches and pains.
Now, I don’t endorse this idea or know if these claims are backed up, but it’s pretty interesting that this is why this cocktail caught on.
Bloody Mary pasta is a delicious take on this cocktail with all the flavors of it’s bold tomato base.
How to Make It
This macaroni salad recipe is not any more difficult than other pasta salads.
To make it, start by cooking the rotini pasta according to the directions on the package.
While the pasta cooks, whisk together the tomato vinaigrette dressing, cocktail sauce, Worcestershire sauce and cayenne pepper in a medium bowl. Set it aside.
Drain the pasta and run it under cold water to stop the cooking process.
Pour the pasta into a large mixing bowl with the sliced celery, halved tomatoes, sliced olives and crumbled bacon.
Toss it together to combine it.
Then pour the dressing over the pasta mixture and give the mixture another toss to combine it.
After everything is evenly combined, cover the pasta salad with cling wrap and pop it in the fridge for 1-2 hours or until just chilled.
Once the pasta salad has chilled and you’ve removed it from the fridge, stir once more prior to serving.
Serve cold and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
Follow these suggestions for pasta salad perfection each time.
- Not a fan of spicy food? Omit the cayenne pepper.
- Want it extra spicy? Add more cayenne pepper or even a dash of hot sauce.
- If you can’t find rotini, you could substitute penne, ziti, bowties or any other medium pasta.
Other Pasta Salad Recipes You Might Enjoy
This bloody Mary pasta salad is one of my favorite twists on macaroni salad. Make it and enjoy all the delicious tastes of the cocktail in a zesty summer side dish.
Looking for other pasta salad recipes? Try these:
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Bloody Mary Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups rotini pasta cooked, drained, and run under cold water to stop cooking
- 2/3 cup sun dried tomato vinaigrette dressing
- 1/3 cup cocktail sauce
- 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- pinch cayenne pepper optional, if you want a little spicy kick
- 1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes halved lengthwise
- 3 stalks celery washed & thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup sliced pimento stuffed green olives
- 1/2 cup crisp, crumbled bacon
Instructions
- In a medium sized mixing bowl whisk together the dressing, cocktail sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and cayenne pepper (if including) until smooth. Set aside.
- To a large mixing bowl add the cooked, cooled pasta, tomatoes, celery, olives, and bacon. Toss them gently until evenly combined.
- Pour the dressing out over top and toss once again, just until evenly combined.
- Cover the mixing bowl with cling wrap, tightly sealed and refrigerate for 1-2 hours- just until chilled.
- Remove the pasta from the fridge, toss the cling wrap, and give the pasta salad a generous stir, and serve.
Nutrition
