this is how we build . . .

A pasta salad.

Start the day before. The various ingredients need to take a little time to get acquainted and mix up their flavors.

Caution: there is no way to build a small pasta salad. Get out your biggest bowl - or maybe your turkey roaster. I kid you not. The secret of my pasta salad is threefold. Stint not on the price of the ingredients. Used LOTs of marinated artichoke hearts. Remember, "Behind every delicious little morsel is another delicious little morsel.

1. Dump a bag of Italian Style frozen vegetables in a collander.

2. Cook up some dry pasta - maccaroni or rotini is good. Spaghetti is just too messy to eat in this salad. Bow ties (farfelle?) are too fragile.


3.Add a big package of tortellini (or ravioli or some other stuffed pasta.

4. While you are waiting for the water to boil, open and drain a can of garbanzo beans, a can of red beans, a can of green beans

5.And a can of olives. Sample a few olives.

6. Open but do NOT drain a can of Italian style tomatoes.

7. Take a nice salami . . .

cut it in half-inch slices then quarter each slice. This makes a piece big enough to pick out if you don't like salami, and big enough to taste if you do.

When the pasta is just barely al dente, drain it over the frozen veggies, then dump everything: pastas, veggies, beans, olives tomatoes and salami into your big bowl (or the turkey roaster)

8. Add a honking big jar of marinated artichoke hearts. Dump them in, marinade and all.


9. Top with a bottle of Newman's Own Italian dressing. The money you spend on it still goes to the charity he set up and the flavor is just right! TRust me. OK, if you can't find Newman's Own in Australia, use a good quality Italian dressing with lots of olive oil.


10. Turn gently, mixing things together and getting that wonderful oil and vinegar concoction over everything. Cover and store in the refrigerator - at least a few hours. Overnight is better. Whenever you think of it, go and give it another gentle turn, bringing the stuff on the bottom up to the top, and maybe snatching a marinated artichoke heart while you're at it.

When it's party time. stick in two big serving spoons, fill your plate first, then stand back.

If you feel like it, add sliced cherry tomatoes, slices of yellow summer squash, slices of zucchini, or slices of mild onions. Or extra broccolli or whatever seems good to you.