Jimmy Buffett Pasta in Paradise Salad

“It takes no more time to see the good side of life than the bad.”

The Jimmy Buffett Pasta in Paradise Salad honors his “cheeseburger in paradise” with the buns.

It is simply a vessel of buttery, fluffy pasta with a delicious and fun twist on the great, classic all-American creation.

Topped with everything Buffett sings about, it includes 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 can even dip your french-fries in.

You’ll be asking, “Which way do I steer?” to anchor your fork into some Jimmy Buffett Pasta in Paradise Salad!

“It’s those changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes nothing remains quite the same. With all of our running and all of our cunning, if we couldn’t laugh, we would all go insane.”

Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 5 servings

Ingredients

For the salad:

12 ounces whole-wheat pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, chopped
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
1 pound of 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

“Go fast enough to get there, but slow enough to see.”

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 aside to cool.

Step 2 -While the pasta is cooking, in a pan over medium heat, add the olive oil, onion, and garlic. Season with salt and 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 while cooking until no longer pink, about 8-11 minutes. Season the cooked meat with more salt and pepper.

Step 5 -Drain the excess grease from the meat and place the meat in another bowl to cool.

Step 6 -Add the cooled meat mixture, tomatoes, red onion, pickles, lettuce, and cheddar cheese to the cooled pasta. Stir to combine.