Pasta Salad From Hell
Ingredients:
1 lb Garden Rotelle Noodles (The multi-colored ones!!)
1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
2 Green Bell Peppers
1 Yellow Bell Pepper
1 Orange Bell Pepper
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 White Onion
2 Jalapenos
1 Habanero Pepper
2 1/2 Pints Grape/Cherry Tomatoes
7/8oz block cheese (Suggested: Roasted Red Pepper, Pepper-Jack, or Mozzarella)
Chili Powder, Salt, Pepper
Instructions:
It's a relatively easy recipe to make, but since there is a lot of cutting involved, it's more fun with two people! As far as the tomato selection goes, you can use anything you want, but around here at most B&R Stores they sell Santa Sweets, which are some badass grape tomatoes. The bell peppers are completely optional, but they do add a certain flavor that you can't emulate with anything else (ESPECIALLY the orange pepper). And remember when buying Habaneros that darker is spicier.
Step one is always to begin boiling the noodles, everything else takes place during, but if they are done first, strain and set aside, they'll need to cool down eventually anyways.
De-stem and half-gut Jalapenos, Habaneros, and de-skin half of white onion. Place all together in blender with 1/2 to 1 pint grape tomatoes (depending on your taste decide how many tomatoes, also a clove of garlic is optional) and blend. If the mixture is still thick you can add water, or if you're real crazy get a can of jalapenos and use the juice to thin it out. Congratulations, you just made mofo sauce for tacos! But that's not our goal, set this aside or in the fridge for now. (Remember this if you're ever making tacos, this will give you some SERIOUS kick).
Start chopping the bell peppers and remaining onion, I usually go 1x1cm since it's a comfortable size to work with, but you may also cut strips. Once cut, place all the chopped vegetables into a frying pan on low to medium heat to begin sauteing them with salt, pepper, and chili powder, if you overdo it you'll live, it all goes together with the noodles and such. Keep an eye on these until the peppers are soft, normally when the aroma fills your kitchen they're good and cooked, but always taste one to make sure :)
Meanwhile, start cutting the remaining 1-1/2 pints of tomatoes in half. Make sure to cut them down the middle, as in you have the stem and the butt on your thumb and forefinger and you cut parallel with them, it looks much better and is easier to manage, less leakage, etc.
Now's the fun part; mixing. Put everything you've got so far (sans the mofo sauce) into the mixing bowl and mix accordingly adding red wine vinegar, olive oil, and mayo to your liking. As far as salt, pepper, and chili powder go I added them all to the vegetables (and went heavy on the chili powder, this is hell, you know). The 1/4 cups and 1/2 cups above are simple guidelines, you can add more or less depending on how you like it, just remember that this is only a BASE for the spiciness that will occur later.
Once that's all set to go, start adding in the mofo sauce. Now considering this has one of the spiciest peppers you can buy in it, start adding slowly at first, and make sure you mix extremely well between bites. I ended up adding my whole mixture because I love spicy stuff, but some people are generally weaker human beings.
Since this is a pasta salad it is ALWAYS better after it's had a chance to mingle with itself. We ate ours right away because we were hungry, but if you get the chance make this over lunch and let it sit until dinner, or just make it the night before you want to eat it.
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