Spinach Pasta Salad

By jeff and alli -
My friend, who is a good cook, gave me this recipe and I really like it.  Rees however is not a fan so it isn't for everyone I guess, but chances are, you are going to like it.  I'll admit when I saw the ingredients I thought teriyaki with Italian cheese sounded odd but be brave and I think you'll be happy you tried this.

Note, this recipe makes A LOT!!!  My friend makes it for baby showers so she usually wants plenty, but for many of you, halving the recipe is more practical.

Spinach Pasta Salad

16 oz. package of bowtie pasta
1 cup canola oil
2/3 cup teriyaki sauce
2/3 cup white vinegar
6 Tbsp sugar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 to 2 bags fresh spinach
1 (6 oz) bag craisins
3 (three) cans mandarin oranges
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 bunch chopped green onions
¼ cup toasted sesame seeds
6 oz. honey roasted peanuts
1 cup fresh 4 cheese Italian blend
Blend vegetable oil, teriyaki sauce, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper in a blender. Pour over pasta and chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours….can be chilled overnight. Toss in spinach, craisins, mandarin oranges, parsley, green onions, sesame seeds, and peanuts. Sprinkle Italian blend cheese on top and serve.
Additional notes:  my friend adds 2 cups chopped cooked chicken which I think is a good idea if you wanted it for a main dish salad.  Also, I have used part honey / part sugar before and it works just fine.  And sometimes I'm running short on spinach or craisins or no sesame seeds at all...and I just use the amount that I have and nobody has complained about the proportions being off.  

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