Pasta Salad

By Lalabee

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package small seashell pasta
• 2 eggs
• 2 oz cooked ham, cut into thin strips
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen English peas, thawed (I used fresh chopped pea pods)
• 1-1/2 cups Swiss cheese, cut into bite size pieces (I used Swiss, white cheddar and yellow cheddar cheese)
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• green onions, chopped (I used diced red onion)
• 1 tsp prepared mustard
• 1 tsp hot pepper sauce
• 1 tsp paprika
• red, yellow, orange or green peppers chopped-optional

Preparation

Step 1

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente. Rinse under cold water, drain, and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Over medium heat, bring water to a full boil. Lower heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Immediately plunge eggs into cold water. Let cool completely, then peel and slice.

3. In a large serving bowl, toss together the pasta, egg, ham, peas, and cheese. In a separate bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream, green onion, mustard, and hot pepper sauce. Stir until well blended.

4. Pour 3/4 of the dressing over the pasta, and toss to coat thoroughly. Spread the remaining dressing evenly over the top of the pasta salad, all the way to the edge of the bowl. Sprinkle with paprika, cover tightly, and chill 4 hours, or overnight for best flavor. Stir well before serving. **I doubled the sauce recipe. Don't skip the mustard or hot sauce, they are NOT overwhelming at all and they make the salad.