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Collegiate Tailgate Pasta Salads
September 16, 2014
College Football. An American Tradition. Big Game Day Celebrations. Collegiate Tailgate Pasta Salads? Why not. #ncaanoodles. The school colors make their way into all kinds of fashions…have you seen the Collegiate Cowboy boots? I can’t believe I want some. There is college fashion for cars, for dogs, for ALMOST ANYTHING you can imagine! The Collegiate craze is stronger than ever and this is the time of year when it is at its height of craziness. Note: my college had no football team (University of Vermont)…what was I thinking? <SMH>
Tennessee Big Orange Pasta Salad
After John and I started our company with Music City Pasta, we got to thinkin’…hmmmmm…what other shapes could we create here in Tennessee that would strike a chord (shameless pun for Music City…. Couldn’t help it! 🙂 and get people excited to buy pasta? We had just moved back to Nashville and were experiencing the whole SEC Southern football madness. It was fun. It was nuts. It wasn’t what was happening when we were living in NYC. And we knew immediately what would be our next 2 product introductions: Vanderbilt and UT Pasta.
Why not give the rabid loyal fans something to take to their tailgate parties that would represent their teams? And not just in color…but in the shape of their mascot or logo! People loved it…and our Collegiate Pasta line was born.
Florida Gator Pasta Salad
Our Collegiate Pasta Salad line consists of over 50 Universities. Each one is officially licensed and contains mascot or logo shaped pasta plus a Game Day Vinaigrette mix. NOTE: To make this recipe you MUST have a bag of Collegiate Pasta which includes our vinaigrette mix packet!
Why then post this recipe? Well, we get lots of calls from fans who have torn off their label and can’t find the recipe. And it’s usually Friday before the Saturday game…so what happens if we miss the call or have left the office? Yay – this post – it will now always be available!
Alabama Roll Tide Pasta Salad
So, assuming you have a bag and the mix, this is one easy recipe. In just a few minutes you’ll have the hit of the tailgate party. Add red wine vinegar and oil for the dressing. And three other additions is all that is needed. Cucumber – check! Colored Peppers (matching your team of course) – check! Red onion – check! A yummy sweet and sour pasta salad combination with crunch and color – touchdown! And as a bonus there are three other recipe options printed on the inside of the label. I hope your tailgate fun continues and you share lots of wins, laughs, and memories with your family and friends! Please share this post and let me know what is your tailgate “necessity” when it comes to good food on game day!
West Virginia Mountaineers Pasta Salad
Note: You are probably happy if your team is featured in the pictures. Believe me, it wasn’t easy choosing who to highlight. And I can’t win. So I surrender. If your team is not here…please forgive me. And I promise I will be posting others as this blog adventure continues!
If you are interested in seeing all of our pasta shapes, you can visit The Pasta Shoppe website. And if you have any fundraising needs, please check out Fun Pasta Fundraising! We’d love to hear from you!
PrintCollegiate Tailgate Pasta Salads
Take this to your tailgate party for a game day touchdown!
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 7 mins
- Total Time: 22 mins
- Yield: 8 1x
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cucumber
- 1 orange pepper (Note: substitute pepper colors to match your team colors!)
- 1 green pepper (or coordinating color for your team!)
- 1 red onion
- Red wine vinegar
- Olive or vegetable oil
Instructions
- Vinaigrette: Combine seasoning packet, ½ cup red wine vinegar, and ¼ cup olive or vegetable oil in glass bowl. Heat in microwave, stirring occasionally, until packet is dissolved, about 1 ½ minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Pasta: Cook pasta 6-8 minutes in GENTLY boiling water (salt optional). To achieve your school colors, food coloring was used, please note that the water may become slightly colored. Drain pasta in colander, rinse with cold water.
- Add Fresh Additions: Peel, seed, and dice cucumber, chop ½ orange and ½ green pepper, chop ½ red onion.
- Gently Toss: Pasta, vinaigrette, and veggies. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Easy to make a day ahead, just toss again before serving.
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Dear pastabilities,
By any chance do you sell pasta for the University of Texas, the Longhorns? Would definitely be the hit of the parties and tailgating.
Hook ’em!
We no longer make the Collegiate Pasta! So sorry to disappoint you! We do have Tailgate Pasta…not quite the same but still fun!
Where is Tennessee in the fundraising packet? My daughter brought the packet home last night and I was blown away that Tennessee was not included. Tennessee is 4-0 and just beat Florida. I feel like it is going to be difficult explaining why there is no TN to everyone that we approach.
Hey Matt!
We are in Tennessee and are huge Vol fans too! Unfortunately, we had to scale back our Collegiate offering to only 20 schools due to licensing challenges…and Tennessee is not licensed anymore. So sorry! We do have our new Tailgate and Celebrate Pasta Salads in team colors – Orange included of course – on page 9…These are footballs and helmets in orange and plain pasta plus the same yummy vinaigrette mix as the Collegiate! So you can still celebrate at the orange tailgate! Let me know if you have any more questions…hopefully that explains it somewhat! What a great game last week….my husband and youngest son are headed to Athens for the GA game! GBO! Carey
I made the Mizzou pasta for a graduation party. I used regular vinegar (didn’t have an red wine vinegar) and added small cubes of cheese, grape tomatoes, and LOTS of BACON!! Delicious!!
So happy you loved it! You can’t use enough bacon! 🙂
I was in a store selling your pasta today and saw the Tennessee and Virginia pasta. I was excited to see this blog with the mountaineers pasta as well, but I’m unable to find it for sale on your site. Is this no longer available??
Shelley, I’ll email you a more detailed answer – but yes West Virginia is still available, but only through our fundraising division!
These are SO cute! I need a Mizzou bag!! I was just emailing with Ginny from ericksonwoodworks and she said you are going to be at chopped con this weekend! Thought I’d say hi, love to meet new blogging friends 🙂
So funny! I was just chekcing out your blog and going to email you too! This is all new for me…so I’m looking forward to learning a lot and meeting fun people like you! Love your blog! See you Thursday night or Friday!
How fun this would be to serve my grandson! He would be in heaven! Thanks for the opportunity!
University of South Carolina Gamecocks
These are so darn cute!!! This would perk up any game day tail gate!! Let alone any day to represent your hometown or college ! GO SU!! GO ORANGE !!
Love your team spirit!
I love these, me and my nephew will try and do the alphabet everytime we have letter pasta.
Kids love the little shapes for sure!
This look delicious and love, LOVE, ~*LOVE*~ the colors and fun shapes! I knew I shouldn’t have looked at this right before bed 😉 ha ha! Going to dream of #ncaanoodles and yummy pasta salad all night!
At least they’ll be sweet dreams! 🙂 Glad you liked what you saw!
Like the variety of colors and teams #ncaanoodles Plus it looks really good!
Appreciate it Eric!
Fun recipes!
Thank you!!
#ncaanoodles Am I to late? But, no the recipe looks great. Thanks for all the tips and ideas. I like to have friends over but never know what to do/prepare. 🙂
No! And I hope this and the other recipes help…they are all pretty easy!
looks soooooo good !
It looks good.
Would like to try!
love it
I’m not a pasta salad fan, but I am a Florida Gators fan, so I had to buy it! Would love to see more recipes!
Will definitely promise more of those! There are 3 more versions of Gator Pasta on the label too!
Looks yummy!
I want some salad made with my own Iowa Hawkeye noodles! These are so cool. It would be really fun to make one salad with both Hawkeyes and Badgers to represent our house divided.
Always fun to have some competition – and we do have both teams!
Wisconsin proud! Go Badgers!
We got your Flying W’s!!!
You can’t go wrong with pasta! I love this idea. Fun meals bring people together – even if we like different teams!
Love the thought…and agree wholeheartedly!
I love the creative color combo possibilities, they are sure to make game day more fun!
Well we had to go with team colors for pasta, and the veggies add so much color! Thank you!
I love this idea and will be trying it soon
Those pasta salads look so yummy! With the fun colors I bet I could even get my 5 year old to eat it!
For sure…it’s a sweet vinaigrette and my boys have loved it since they were little!
This looks delicious and is not too far from my current home. I live in Bowling Green, KY!
Hey neighbor! (Kinda :)) We have UK and Louisville too!
Love these pastas! And love the term entreprenoodle. Clever!
Thanks Meridith!
Appreciate it – I try to be clever and sometimes it works!
I would love to win this pasta prize!
Go Gators! #ncaanoodles
Thanks Christine!
Those are awesome pastas
I would love to try these! #NCAANOODLES
Oh yea! Thank you!
I’m definitely going to have to try one of your recipes.. once I do I will come back & let ya know! 😉
What a great idea, these are awesome…must have!
Thanks!
This pasta is so cool.
Pasta is a great idea for tailgate parties! Goes great with burgers and steaks on the grill!!!
I love the fact that pasta can be a side or a main dish! Agreed!
These look easy to make and yummy
I’d love to see the FSU pasta! GO NOLES!!
Definitely going to give the tailgate pasta salad a try! It sounds yummy!
We do have Seminole Pasta!! And you know your crowd would love it! 🙂
The BLT pasta salad looks amazing!! I bet it would look even better with Florida Gators pasta 🙂
They are both great recipes…and OK, I get it….
I love that Alabama Roll Tide pasta! I love Bama and I am tickled pink that they make Bama pasta, in my house we have a Texas Longhorn fan and me with my love for Bama. So I say Roll Tide and I totally need these to shut my hubby up and show him who the best team is…lol 🙂 I love making a ranch pasta salad for game days, I use pasta (hopefully now Roll Tide pasta) some shredded carrots, green olives chopped up, bacon crumbles, 1 cup of mayo and 1 and 1/2 cup of Ranch dressing powder. It makes for a yummy all in one pasta salad.
YUM!! I want to try that – sounds easy and delish! Just up my alley! Thank you!
GO BLUE! HAIL TO THE VICTORS!!
So colorful with 3 young kids this would be a hit
I am so glad I found your page,such great ideas. My son would live on pasta if he could so I have been checking out some recipes and everything sounds easy enough to make and yummy!
Most are easy…and they’ll be much more to come – so stay in touch!
Definitely gonna have to get me some University of Texas and make this recipe for my kids to try out!!!
I love the Alabama pasta! I shared on my facebook page and tagged the biggest Alabama fans I know.
So appreciate the share!!! Only a few weeks old here on the blog and need to get the word out – thank you!
Love this is great
Looks amazing I would love to try it! 😀
Simple healthy and yummy
What a great idea!
#ncaanoodlesgiveaway
Volz pasta looks great!!!!!!!!
scrolling down page–i have to say they all look pretty good..and i would <3 to try..ty
scrolling down page -i have to say they all look pretty good n i would love to try one–ty for the entry
These are so cool! I am more of a NFL fan than college. My favorite team is the Kansas City Chiefs.
Sorry! Only Collegiate for now – but this recipe is good with any pasta shape! Of course, you’d need to buy one to get the mix…or check out our other tailgate recipe with beans and corn – a winner!
How clever! I would love to serve one of those as a side dish! What a cute, fun way to enjoy your dinner!
i would love to try the University of Florida pasta…GO GATORS!!! 🙂
Love the colors!
would love to try
I love the Michigan State Spartans pasta!
That’s a great shape! Thank you!
Love the collegiate pastas! Such a unique idea.
Tailgate food looks fun AND healthy! What’s next? Maybe painted faces to match the team and the pasta!
Funny – envisioning now….
What a great concept! Love these and the recipes too!
I have to say these are pretty cool. I love it 🙂
I have to make this.
Please try it and let me know how it goes!
This looks super delish!! #ncaanoodles giveaway Thanks for the chance – I’m fixin to try this recipe whether or not I win!! 🙂
We love your spirit! Thanks Stephanie!
Such a clever idea. I love cooking pasta dishes..
These are so cute hubby would love it
#ncaanoodles these are adorbs!
Why thank you! 🙂
Good luck to the winners! !!.:)
i loove pasta ty for the chance to win
Ooooohmy!!! I NEED the roll tide pasta!!!! It’d go with everything else Crimson and white in my house!!! RTR!!!
Yes you do!
Pasta salad sounds fun & yummy all at once!
Thanks Chrissy!
Sounds yummy!!
Definitely need to cook up some Texas Longhorn pasta 😉
You Texans are crazy fans! It is a great Longhorn shape too!
Love trying new recipes with different types of pasta 🙂
That’s what we like to hear! Thanks!
Love all of these recipes!!
Game Day Pasta ? yes, I would love to watch it & eat it!! Yummmm!!!
It is delicious! Thanks Sarah!
Go VOLS
Alright Karen!!!
These are awesome!
Appreciate it Jennifer!
I would the Tennessee Vols. Go big orange.
Oh yea! That’s my team too!
Love this idea!
love the free giveaways and all the amazing recipies inyour blog. thank you
These look phenomenal! Love the colors!
Thanks! Yea, the Collegiate fans want their color to be bright!
Great idea for a graduation party
Agreed! Good idea!
looks good!!
love the recipes love the color !
i’m definitely trying this! Thank you forsharing
Please do and let me know what you think!
I have to say, some of those colors are kinda scary…But I love pasta and can think of lots of recipes we’d use it for this fall.
Well, we once used all natural vegetable powders but the colors fade….fans demanded COLOR – so we use food coloring….think of cupcakes….they are bright but really do look good and stand out a your tailgate!
yum
This would be perfect for game day and I love the pop of color they have!
These are so fun!
looks delicious – yummy
Love the convenience of the noodles with seasoning. Love to have this quick and easy alternative on gameday. I would to try it.
The mix does make it easy!! 🙂
Love the vibrant colors in any of the colleg pastas. The recipe sounds simple enough too.
Thank you – bright and delish!
Shared on Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/pin/191754896609437707/
I love it! Such a unique idea and fun to eat. My tailgate necessity is cheeseburgers.
Thanks Stephanie! This pasta would make a great side to your burgers…and I appreciate the pin!! 🙂
These are so cute! And hehe @ entreprenoodle =)
I know – I’m a geek and I love these kinds of plays on words…it has been 20+ years – so I’ve been brainwashed!!
Fun salad for the Cornhuskers. Tailgating will never be the same.
I’d Love some of the Gator Pasta Salad YUM! Go Gators!
Go Badgers
yum
Add some cheese and salami to make this pasta salad heartier:)
Love that thought – great idea! PS: when does salami not add goodness??
What a cool and fun company!!! would love to win!!!! But even if I don’t I am definitely
becoming a customer!
Music to my ears!!! Thank you! Please make some of our recipes and stick around…we love our shapes, but love other pasta too!
This sounds yummy! Nice to be able to “eat” foods while “rooting” for my fave team!!
I agree with you 100%!
NCAA parties will now be a hit!! Good thinking!
Thank you Tori!
Think of all the Pasta-bilities with this fun shaped Pasta. Alfredo’s, tomatoes, soups, and with the fun shapes my six year old is sure to gobble it down.
Love it!!
I want to cheer PSU with this recipe. It will be the hit of our tailgate.
Sounds like a plan!! 🙂
I love vegan pasta!
Those pasta salads are so pretty I don’t know whether to eat them or hang them on my wall!! Just kidding, will definitely eat them for sure…LOVE pasta salads. So fresh and tasty!
I suggest EAT!!! 🙂 And then get some more! 🙂
Love pasta!
I LOVE PASTA.
Love it
Love this idea. Have to order one for me and one for my fiancee. (We have different teams that we root for so it will be interesting to see which one he will eat)
Rivalries are fun! Would be funto stick the opposing team in his stocking! 🙂
Awesome, would love it for pasta salad. Mmmmm
Love the fabulous various-looking pasta you have and the recipes that go with them! My family would certainly enjoy some different pastas for dinners!!
Thanks Teresa!
I would love to have the Utah Utes in my pasta salad!
We got ‘um!
Sounds wonderful! Yum thank you so much! I would love to win for my family!!! Oooh please!!!
Thanks Neko! It’s random…we’ll see!
Those recipes look delicious and would look even better with Mizzou pasta!
Mizzou is a cute paw print shape…of course I think they all look good!
I wish I went to rainbow college. .. imagine what that salad would look like 🙂
Hmmmmmmm….interesting thought!
My gameday necessity for good food on Game day is making sure there is enough food for my two teenage boys and hubby plus friends! lol They arent exceptionally picky as long as there is alot 🙂 Thx for the Great giveaway!
So true. I can relate.
Noooo! Not the Vols! LOL! How about some Kentucky blue! I love this idea!
Sure why not.
These are so awesome!
Wow. I know what I want to cook! Looks like something my kiddies will love too.
My kids have “tested” and “approved” this one. Two thumbs up!!!
Love your pasta and love this recipe!
Would love to win some of this!
The collegiate pasta is awesome! We are huge football fans in our house, this would be great for tailgate parties! Good idea guys!
Thanks Shannon. Hope you enjoy it!
what a tasty delicious dish
Awesome!
Great recipes – excited to try them
Thanks Monique. Let me know how they turn out.
Pasta is my favorite!! Love pasta dinners at mom’s with the whole family there and a Huge bowl of noodles/ziti/penne with meatballs and Italian sausage!
Now why does your comment make me think of Will Farrell as Buddy the Elf???? Lol- pasta is great for feeding a crowd and making memories around the table.
Passa da Pasta, as they say in my house! Do you have University of Nevada pasta?
I’m sorry we sure don’t.
#ncaanoodles make tailgating both delicious and fun!
love it!
What a great way to show your appreciation to your favorite team!
Love a good pasta dish! I would use the Indiana University Pasta!
we love pasta especially pasta salad
Tried it, it’s great!
Wow- you are quick. Glad you liked it.
wow that looks good and so easy to make I want to try it
These #ncaanoodles are so cool and great for a tailgating party.
Great, this one is going to be a touchdown for sure!
SCORE!
I love new recipes and due to the colored pasta I think it would draw the attention of the young children and they would love it. Thank you for posting.
You are welcome!
When tailgating, brauts are a requirement for our bunch. Some spicy, some mild. Personalized team pasta salad would make an awesome side at our next tailgate!
I agree, or you could slice up those brauts and mix them in with the pasta salad.
That recipe sounds amazing, will be making this weekend.
Great. Let me know what you think 🙂
I love this pasta! It’s great for football games and to just get my kids to eat on those fussy days lol
I hear ya!
wow how awesome I want to make these
Let me know if you try it and how you like it.
Looks delicious.
Let me know what you think after you try it.
Go Gators! Love your tailgate pasta!
Gator Fan, huh?! These are really cute shapes (notice the gator head?) and they cook up well too!
I love all of your recipes and creative pastas! Especially the collegiate tailgate pasta ideas! They’re amazing!
Thanks Beth.
Appreciate it Beth! Stay tuned for more easy and tasty recipes!
I just came upon this site My family loves pasta and I will checking out your recipes and ordering some of the pasta for parties Love the different pastas
Welcome Shirley. Thanks for your comment.
Thanks Shirley!
Everyone loves when I make pasta salad using your kits! The vinaigrette mix tastes delicious. I add cubed salami and cheese to it.
Thanks sounds yummy. I will have to try that.
I love your tailgate pasta. Made it for my family reunion and it was a hit. Thanks.
So happy to hear that.
My kids would love this
This would be perfect for a tailgate, but you don’t have my school 🙁
Elizabeth, you could always use our Tailgate & Celebrate pasta instead.
I love these they look so cool, I will definitely be getting some of these for gifts!
Love those Vols!!! Thank you for the giveaway
Love your pasta creativity! GO UCLA! Tailgating with my Italian style Macaroni and cheese with Parmesean, Romano, Mozerella cheese, onions, garlic, basil and oregano.
Yum! And now I’m hungry again….;)
love the gator pasta
The WV is awesome!
Chomp chomp!
I love pasta!
Love pasta in any shape or size
We got to have chips and dip. Never tailgate without them. I wonder if you could make us pasta chips to dip with? I think they would taste great!
Hmmm, now there’s an idea. I’ll add that to my “product development” file.
What a cool idea! I’ll have to look and see if there are some smaller colleges featured, too!
My tailgate necessity is pasta salad, pizza & veggie dogs in a blanket 🙂
This pasta salad looks incredibly yummy! Will definitely have to put it in play at my next tailgate party!
Thanks. Let me know what you think after you try it.
WOW! Awesome! 🙂
This looks like a great recipe, I really needed to mix up the rotation in how I make the pasta at home.
You’ve come to the right place because I love all things pasta and there are many more good things to come.
Now I’m hungry. lol
wow these look really good would love to try them
Love pasta salad, especially with UF pasta. Go Gators!
This sounds like a great recipe for our tailgate parties!
Maybe I can use this to get my husband to eat his pasta! He’s like an overgrown kid!
Kid tested and approved. Hope your husband likes it.
love to win such unique pasta love to win Ohio State! change the peppers to red
How fun !!! 😀