Squirmy Wormy Pasta

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

A crazy thing happens to hotdogs when you slice them thinly and boil them. They curl up into wormy shapes. It's awesome; and the pink hotdog color is just right, too. No... I don't really want to know the reason why they curl because I am pretty sure it is yucky. I just think it is awesome that they do curl. It makes a perfect focus for our Wormy Pasta.

Serves: 4
Start-to-Finish: 30 minutes prep + 2 hours refrigeration
Recipe By: Mueller's Pasta

Ingredients:

6 oz uncooked spiral pasta
4 hot dogs, sliced lengthwise
1/3 cup relish
1/4 cup red or green bell pepper, finely chopped
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 TBSP yellow mustard
2 tsp cider vinegar
1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Slice hotdogs thinly and boil until they curl up. (The hotdogs puff up when you boil them so you need to slice them really thin to get a good worm effect. I was slicing mine into 9ths and felt they could have even been thinner.)
2. Drain hotdogs and set aside.
3. Cook pasta according to package directions.
4. Drain and rinse well with cold water.
5. In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients, except pasta, cooked hotdogs, and black beans.
6. Once thoroughly mixed, add pasta, hot dogs, and black beans tossing gently to coat.
7. Chill for at least two hours before serving. (You don't have to refrigerate this pasta if you would like to eat sooner, the flavors will just be milder so you may want to boost them by adding more mustard and vinegar to taste.)