Recipe - Acini Di Pepe Salad

I once heard a popular speaker apologize at the beginning of her talk to anyone who may have already heard some of the stories she was about to share.  "I'm really sorry," she exclaimed, "but I only have one life!"  I felt like that this week when trying to come up with  a theme for this post.  My choice of recipe most often comes from whatever is going on in my own life at the moment. I just don't have time to spend cooking (and photographing) for the sole purpose of sharing in Savings for Sisters--dear to me though you all may be!  This week, for example, I was called upon to whip up a batch of my niece Mandi's favorite Acini Di Pepe Salad to help with the big buffet lunch her mom was planning for her mission farewell on Sunday.  So Acini Di Pepe it is!

You can call it Frog Eye Salad if you want, but I don't want to.  I'd rather not think about frogs . . . or eyes . . . when I dig into this yummy concoction.  I don't know who first thought of marrying pasta to fruit, coconut, cool whip, and marshmallows, but it is unexpectedly refreshing and delicious. . . sometimes.  Why sometimes?  Because you can really screw it up.  Those of you who may have tasted and hated this dish at a family reunion in some dimly remembered past, my guess is that it wasn't done right.

Now that's not to say that it's hard to make.  It's very, very easy.  I'm going to share the secret to making your Acini salad turn out the way it was meant to be--light, fruity, and fluffy--not some gummy, gloppy disaster.  But first, you need to beg, borrow, or steal yourself one of these guys, if you don't already own one that is.

You need this.  See the tiny holes?  Not just any colander will do. It is large and made of fine stainless steel wire mesh that doesn't allow the cooked nubbins of Acini to fall through, which is essential for thorough rinsing. 

Acini Di Pepe Salad

1 (16 oz) box of Acini Di Pepe Pasta

2 (20 oz) cans Pineapple Chunks or Tidbits

1 (20 oz) can Crushed Pineapple

4 small or 3 large cans Mandarin Oranges

2 (8 oz) tubs of Cool Whip

2 cups Mini Marshmallows

1 cup Coconut

1 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons Flour

½ teaspoon Salt

2 large beaten Eggs

1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

2 cups Pineapple Juice (reserved from draining the canned pineapple)

1 Tablespoon Cooking Oil

 Here's what you need

On the day before:

Open all the cans of fruit.  Save 2 cups of pineapple juice, but dump out the Mandarin orange juice.  Put fruit in fridge, covered, until the next day.

Combine sugar, flour, and salt in saucepan.  Beat eggs in small bowl and whisk in pineapple juice.  Stir this into the flour mixture and whisk until smooth. 

Cook over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.  Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.  Set aside to cool.

Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot.  Add 2 teaspoons salt and 1 Tablespoon oil.  Pour the box of Acini into the rapidly boiling water. Boil approximately 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.  After about 10 minutes, start tasting it.  It needs to be cooked through, but just barely.  Do not over or under cook it!  It should be the same tenderness as you would want for any pasta.  See how these are still nice and firm, but fully cooked?

Place wire mesh strainer in sink.  It has to be big enough to hold all the Acini.  (The one I have is 8” in diameter and about 3.5” deep, which barely holds it).   Pour in the cooked Acini, letting the hot water drain down the sink. 

Refill your pot halfway with cold water.  Dump the Acini back in and stir around to rinse well.  Pour back into the strainer and refill the pot with cold water. (Note:  You could definitely use a smaller strainer—you will just have to be patient and work with the straining/rinsing process a little at a time).

Repeat this process at least two more times.  Then let the Acini drain for about ten minutes to make sure all the water comes off.  Move it about a bit to make sure no water is trapped.   

Thorough rinsing and draining is the most important part of the whole process.  If you get this right, the rest of the recipe is a cinch.  If it’s not rinsed well, some of the starches will remain, and that’s when it turns the whole salad gummy and no one likes it.

At this point, if the sauce isn’t cool, place it in the fridge a few minutes until it is.

Now combine the sauce with the Acini in large covered bowl and place in fridge until the next day.

Place containers of Cool Whip into fridge to thaw overnight.

Day of Serving:

Bring out pineapple and Mandarin oranges and drain off any accumulated juices—there will be quite a bit, and you don’t want it in the salad.

Fold Cool Whip into the Acini mixture (which will now be set and thick) until just mixed.

Stir in coconut and marshmallows.

Carefully stir in fruit.

Garnish with Maraschino Cherries if desired, cover tightly, and refrigerate until ready to star at your next party—at least three hours.  Leftovers will keep at least five days in the fridge.

Serves 25.