Acine de Pepe Fruit Salad

The big game is coming up in just a few weeks, you know the BIG game. I’m not a big football fan, but this year the Super Bowl is in my city, so it’s hard not to be excited. I’ll be sharing some recipes in the next few weeks that are great for feeding a crowd! Today’s dish in an acine de pepe fruit salad, also known as frog eye salad. I’ve never called it that, but frog eye salad is a little easier to say than acine de pepe. That’s for sure!

In case you haven’t heard of it before, acine de pepe is a very small, round pasta. It is mostly used in cold salads or soups. It looks similar to tapioca pearls and my in-laws all thought it was tapioca at first. I love this salad for a few reasons.

It’s delicious and that’s the most important thing.
It is great for serving a crowd. It makes a lot!
It’s great to make ahead the day or two before so you have less to do on game day.

Acine de Pepe Fruit Salad or Frog Eye Salad

A tasty fruit salad perfect for feeding a crowd.

Ingredients:

1 package of Acine de Pepe (12oz or 16 oz)

1 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cups pineapple juice- from canned fruit below

2 eggs, beaten

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1 20 oz can pineapple tidbits, drained and juice reserved

1 20 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained and juice reserved

1 can mandarin oranges, drained

2 cans fruit cocktail, drained

2 cups miniature marshmallows

8 oz whipped topping

Instructions:

Open all of the canned fruit and drain. Reserve the juice from the pineapple tidbits and crushed pineapple. Set aside.
Cook the acine de pepe according to the package directions for about 9 minutes. Drain and rinse the pasta with cold water. Allow the pasta to cool in a colander, stirring periodically.
In a sauce pan, add the sugar, flour, salt, reserved pineapple juice, and beaten eggs. Cook on medium low eat until the sauce is thick and smooth, stirring occasionally. Tip: Don’t let the eggs get too hot, too fast or they will scramble and leave white chunks in your sauce.
When the sauce is thick and smooth, remove from heat. Add the lemon juice. Let the sauce cool.
When the pasta and sauce are both cool, mix the pasta, sauce, fruit, marshmallows, and whipped topping together in a large bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

If you have never seen acine de pepe before it can be a strange looking salad. Don’t let that stop you or your guests from digging in. It’s delicious! I got a few, “I wasn’t too sure about this, but it taste great!” comments from friends.
Right now in oranges and pineapple are both in season and on sale at the grocery store. Feel free to substitute in fresh fruit if you prefer.

I hope you enjoy!