Broccoli Pasta Salad

We're back!  It's always nice to get away for a while, but we've missed blogging!   Here's one of our favorite dishes to take to parties and pot-luck dinners.  It’s easy to make, can be made it a day ahead of time, and it feeds a lot of people.  You can leave the ham out for a vegetarian version if you prefer.  Enjoy!

Broccoli Pasta Salad, with ham, cheddar cheese and pecans.  Yum!

Ingredients

1 box (8 oz.) tri-color Rotini pasta

2 heads fresh broccoli, steamed and coarsely chopped (use some stems, too)

2 cups cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes

2 bunches green onions, sliced (use some of the green part)

2 cups smoked ham, chopped

1 package (8 oz.) chopped pecans

2 cups mayonnaise

good pinch of ground black pepper (to taste)

good pinch of paprika

Directions

·        Cook the pasta as directed on the package, drain and allow to cool

·        Steam the broccoli until just crisp-tender, remove from steamer and allow to cool

·        Combine the pasta and chopped broccoli in a large bowl

·        Add the cheese, onions, ham, pecans and mayonnaise and mix well (you may need to adjust the amount of mayonnaise you use, depending on how wet or dry you want it)

·        Add the ground black pepper and mix well again

·        Sprinkle the top generously with paprika

·        Cover and chill for a few hours before serving