Patriotic Pasta Salad

It's time to fire up the grill and get out the red, white, and blue table cloth. You're going to want some delicious cool and refreshing salads to go along with whatever you grill. This Patriotic Pasta Salad is just that. Cool. Refreshing. It is also lovely and festive and full of red white and blue.

I cut a few strawberries into star shapes just to add to the festiveness of the table. Aren't they cute?

You can turn this salad into a main dish by adding cubed grilled chicken.

The red and blue berries make this salad patriotic but you can add or substitute other ingredients making his salad work for any occasion. Sometimes I like to add vegetables such as shredded carrot and sliced celery. Other fruit is fabulous, too, such as Mandarin oranges and kiwi. Try adding dried cranberries and salted cashews. So good in any combination. My favorite combination when it's not for Patriotic celebration is:

mini bowtie pasta

green grapes

mandarin oranges

celery

red onion

green onion

pineapple tidbits

dried cranberries

salted cashews

But for this holiday this is the salad of the day.

While you make it, maybe turn on some Lee Greenwood,

God Bless the USA.

Patriotic Pasta Salad

1 pound mini bowtie pasta
1 cup red or purple grapes
2 cups assorted berries (red raspberries, black raspberries, strawberries)
1 (20-ounce) can pineapple tidbits (reserve the juice)
1 small bunch green onion, chopped (about 10)
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1 cup Miracle Whip
3 tablespoons vinegar
6 tablespoons sugar
1/3 teaspoon Bon Apetit (or the equivalent of celery and onion salt)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup pineapple juice (reserved from the pineapple)

Cook pasta in salted water. Drain and rinse in cold water. Drain again. Add to a large bowl. Add grapes and berries. Drain pineapple, reserving 1/4 cup of the juice. Add pineapple to the bowl. Add the green onions. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, Miracle Whip, vinegar, sugar, Bon Apetit, salt, and pepper. Stir in the reserved 1/4 cup pineapple juice. Whisk until smooth. Pour into bowl and stir gently to combine.