FROG'S EYE SALAD (FRUIT PASTA SALAD)

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups dried acini de pepe pasta
1 (20 ounce) can of pineapple chunks in juice
3 tablespoons corn starch or (THICK GEL - a modified corn starch)
¼  teaspoon salt¼  cup sugar
1 cup whole milk
1 cup whipping creamBlue 
Food Coloring (a few drops) for Patriotic Version
¼  cup plus 3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
½  tablespoon vanilla extract or paste
½ teaspoon vanilla powder
1 (11 oz) can mandarin oranges
2 cups mini marshmallows
½ cup Coconut
2 cups sliced Strawberries 
Directions:Bring 2 quarts of water to a rapid boil. Cook pasta according to directions on package. Drain pasta and rinse in cold water. Add pasta to a large bowl. Open can of pineapple. Strain juice over pasta and stir to mix and coat the pasta. Set pineapple aside.

In a medium saucepan combine cornstarch, salt and sugar. Mix to combine. Slowly add milk and whipping cream and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar and avoid any lumps. Add food coloring if desired.  Once sugar has dissolved whisk in sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Stir constantly until mixture forms a thick pudding. Remove from heat pour into a medium bowl, place plastic wrap or waxed paper over the top of the bowl so it is flush with the pudding to avoid developing a skin. Place in refrigerator to cool for about an hour. Pour pudding into bowl with pasta mixture, stirring well to completely coat the pasta. 

Just before serving mix in pineapple chunks, mandarin oranges, strawberries, coconut and marshmallows (if desired). Serve chilled.

Ingredients for salad assembly

stirring pudding into pasta

In a Big Bowl