About
If you're trying to amend your carnivorous habit and neither bun nor the beach is within reach, Jimmy Buffett Pasta Salad is the next best thing to a "cheeseburger in paradise." A bed of buttery, fluffy pasta is the vessel for this fun twist on the classic American creation. It's topped with everything Jimmy sings about: a big hunk of flavorful ground beef, crispy onions, crunchy lettuce, juicy tomatoes, and savory cheddar cheese. These tasty ingredients swim in a sweet and creamy mayo-ketchup dressing that you might even want to dip your french-fried potatoes in. You'll be asking, "Which way do I steer?" to anchor your fork into some Jimmy Buffett Pasta Salad!
Ingredients
- For the salad:
- 12 ounces whole-wheat pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small sweet onion, chopped
- 2 large cloves garlic, chopped
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup pickles, chopped
- 1/2 cup lettuce, shredded
- 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- For the dressing:
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ketchup
Directions
Step 1 -Cook the pasta to al dente, according to the package instructions. Drain the water from the pasta and place the pasta in a large bowl. Set it aside to cool.
Step 2 -While the pasta is cooking, in a pan over medium heat, add the olive oil, the sweet onions, and the garlic. Season with the salt and the pepper.
Step 3 -Sauté the veggie mixture until soft and fragrant, about 3-5 minutes.
Step 4 -Add the ground beef to the veggie mixture, crumbling the meat while cooking, until the beef is no longer pink, about 7-10 minutes. Season the beef mixture with more of the salt and more of the pepper.
Step 5 -Drain the excess grease from the beef mixture and place it in a separate bowl to cool.
Step 6 -Add the cooled beef mixture, the tomatoes, the red onions, the pickles, the lettuce, and the cheddar cheese to the cooled pasta. Stir to combine.
Step 7 -In a small bowl, stir the ketchup and the mayonnaise together until smooth.
Step 8 -Pour the dressing over the salad.
Step 9 -Plate and serve.

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