WOW!!!! What a really good recipe!! I always thought I made a mean pasta salad, but this recipe makes me want to chuck mine out the window! While I wouldn't recommend changing a thing, I did try adding a couple of things that might be worth your time trying: cubed cucumbers, sliced black olives, and different colored sweet peppers. Something to note as well: when you first make this salad, it almost appears as if there might be too much dressing. If you chill it overnight, or even for a few hours, the dressing homogenizes itself and you have just the right amount. Thank you, Karena, for this great recipe!
This recipe is the best salad recipe on this site...trust me! I usually double the recipe and use two green peppers, one red pepper and one orange pepper to make it more colorful. I prefer to use cavatappi pasta though as I think it does a great job at holding the sauce, more so than ziti would. Everyone who tries this is left guessing what exactly makes it so good. I think its the pickle juice. If anyone wonders how much a double recipe of this gives you, well it fits perfectly in the large Tupperware "Thatsa Bowl" which makes an ideal amount for picnics and gatherings. This salad still tastes great 3-4 days after you make it, so make a lot as leftovers will be appreciated by many. One recommendation I have for this recipe is the addition of grated parmesan cheese. Just sprinkle about 1/4 cup over the completed dish and stir it in. I also add a sprinkling of oregano. This dish is a great recipe and minor alterations and additions can easily be made to suite various palates. Thanks for adding such a great recipe Karena. It may take awhile to cut up all the veggies but it is definitely worth the effort!
An extremely good recipe, receiving raves from everyone I've served it to. I followed the recipe exactly the first time out but certain ingredients are easiliy substituted if not available, as other reviewers have suggested, such as relish for pickles, Miracle Whip (my preference) for mayonaise, all green peppers, however, it does require 24 hours for the flavours to meld properly. Definitely a keeper and a repeater in my home.
This is the best of the best... I may have reviewed this a few years ago but I'm not sure... I have been making this for a few years now for a hot weather meal and no one seems to tire of it... I always use sweet pickle relish in the dressing along with the picle juce.. I have made it with dill and dill relish also as I have a friend who prefers dill rather than sweet... Eather way it is a wonderful hot weather main dish... This is my favoreite recipe form this site and I have tried a lot of them.... LANIEBABE
My husband LOVED this. For a mayonnaise based pasta salad I thought it was excellent it's just that I prefer oil/vinegar pasta salads myself. I thought it needed a whole 16 0z box of pasta there certainly was more than enough dressing. Also I used a bunch of chopped green onions instead of a red onion. I think it would also be good with shrimp instead of the ham.
I found this recipes on this site over a year ago and its been a family favorite. Every since the first time I made it they look forward to me bringing this salad. I omitted the garlic were're not garlic lovers and I added a tablespoon of sugar because even with the sweet pickle juice I find the vinegar a bit tart. Overall this is a great salad; even my picky kids and husband love it.
Wonderful Pasta Salad. Everytime I go home my sister requests that I make it for her. I add brocoli and cauliflower and sometimes fry up some bacon and add crumbled bacon bits to it. Tastes wonderful. Sure to be a hit.
Awsome is right! I made this up and have been eating it for lunch and it just gets better. My family doesn't like sweet pickles so I used sweet pickle relish instead. But I have to wonder what am I missing by not having that 1/2 cup pickle juice to put in the salad. The next time I make this salad (and there WILL be a next time!) I'm going to buy a jar of sweet pickles specifically to put in here. If its this good when NOT following the recipe exactly how good will it be when I do? Thanks for the recipe.
Have used cubed ham and cubed turkey! Great either way! I used dill pickles instead of sweet and it reminds me somewhat of a sub sandwhich. In future attempts I may add some shredded or cubed cheese. Guests really enjoyed and we all agree its a keeper.
Not bad but I don't think I'd make it again. I could see it being a hit at a party but definitely isn't a dinner salad. I liked it but the leftovers in the fridge were tell-tale signs that the family had enough. The sweetness of the pickles with the fresh garlic was the problem. If I did make it again I'd leave out the garlic. It was very pretty though!
