Creamy Pink Cadillac Catalina Macaroni Pasta Salad Recipe (7 Ingredients, 15 Minutes) by Donna John

A bottle of Catalina salad dressing is usually sitting in my fridge because it is one of my husband's favorites. This bottle of orange-colored salad dressing has inspired a few different recipes floating around the internet, including Catalina glazed baked chicken. This Pink Cadillac pasta salad recipe caught my eye not only because of the name, but because one of the main players, which was Catalina salad dressing.

After some tweaking to the original recipe, this Pink Cadillac Catalina pasta salad recipe was born. The tangy flavor of the salad dressing adds another dimension of flavor, while the orange color adds brightness and interest. Who wouldn't want to eat an orange-hued pasta salad?

To make this easy macaroni salad recipe you just need seven simple ingredients. This pasta salad, however, is versatile and can be customized with whatever you like in your pasta salad. For this version you will need the following ingredients: elbow macaroni, celery, red bell pepper (read about the health benefits of bell peppers), red onion (check out the health benefits of red onion), green onion, mayonnaise and Catalina salad dressing.

Variations: Add other ingredients like sweet or dill pickle relish, grated or cubed cheese, chopped hard-boiled eggs or fresh herbs. Get creative!

Before we go any further, after preparing this budget-friendly salad I had to do some research and learn more about the history of Catalina dressing. The tangy, creamy dressing basically derived from French salad dressing. According to an in-depth article on French salad dressing on The Food Historian, there's "some debate as to who actually 'invented' the orange stuff, but while Teresa Marzetti may have helped popularize it, the general consensus is the Milani brand, which started selling its orange take in 1938 ... was the first to commercially produce it. Confusingly, the official Milani name for their dressing is '1890 French Dressing.'" It took until the 1960s for Kraft Catalina salad dressing, which was thinner, spicier and more orange, to enter the picture.

Now back to pasta salad. Serve this tangy, creamy pasta salad as a side dish with your favorite dinners. The pasta salad would be the perfect side dish for hot dogs, burgers, fish fries, grill night, cookouts, picnics, anything. I served mine with grilled burger patties and fresh vegetables for a quick dinner. I also like to grab of bowl of it for a quick vegetarian lunch.

Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 8 ounces (2 cups) elbow macaroni
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 1/3 cup red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup Catalina salad dressing
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (I use Hellman's Real Mayonnaise)

Here's how to make it: 

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions for al dente. Drain, rinse under cold water and set aside.
2. While the pasta cooks, put all the ingredients into a mixing bowl. Add salt and black pepper, to taste. (I also added some Morton Nature's Seasoning, just because.) Stir to combine.
   
3. Add the cooked pasta.
   
4. Stir to combine. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed.
   
5. Pour into a serving bowl.
   
6. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
   
7. Store the pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge. If you're feeding a crowd, this recipe can easily be doubled.
   

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