Curried Pasta Salad

A creamy but not heavy salad with the familiar flavor of warm curry and lots of vegetal texture and flavor.

Curried Pasta Salad

Serves 8 - 9 meal sized or 12 - 14 side dish portions

I don’t know how many people would agree with me but I think that classic deli pasta salad is delicious and wonderfully nostalgic however, I would never eat a meal sized portion because, well it is also not the healthiest thing you can get at the deli counter. With that in mind, I set out to make a pasta salad that could stand up as a meal on its own or make a great addition to a backyard barbecue spread. The result is a pasta salad with lots of vegetables in varying degrees of doneness giving textural interest and a range of flavors, a hearty pasta shape to make it feel more substantial and a yogurt dressing that makes everything lighter. It’s a pasta salad you can eat as a stand alone meal with a few sliced cucumbers on the side or sprinkled on top for a little additional crunch.

“Recipe Tips:

*1. I use a hot Madras style curry powder but use your favorite curry powder.
**2. Lots of recipes say that undercooking pasta for pasta salad is not ideal but, I do not necessarily agree especially for larger pasta shapes. If the penne in this recipe is overcooked like most recipes suggest, the result will be soggy pasta that disintegrates unpleasantly as you eat it. Undercooking the pasta just a little gives it a chance to absorb the dressing while softening slightly without becoming soggy even after a few days in the fridge.”

Ingredients

Pickled Onions

400g (1 large) onion, sliced 0.25 in thick with the grain

6g (1.5 t) kosher salt

2g (0.50 t) gochugaru – optional

45ml (3 T) rice vinegar

Cooked Fillings

500g (a little more than 1 lb) beets, cut into 0.50 in batons

500g (a little more than 1 lb) cauliflower, cut into 1in florets

500g (a little more than 1 lb) penne or farfalle

Dressing

200g (0.50 c + 2 T) plain Greek yogurt

80g (4 T) mayo

37ml (2.5 T) yondu

10g (2 t) ginger, grated

8 garlic cloves, grated

2 cheongyang or serrano chilis, minced

*15g (5 t) curry powder

10g (2 t) granulated sugar

8g (2 t) kosher salt

6g (1.5 t) ground black pepper 

Uncooked Filling

470g (a bit more than 1 lb) carrot, thin julienne cut into 2 in lengths

Method

1.      In a medium mixing bowl combine the pickled onion ingredients mixing well.

While mixing, be sure to separate onion slices.

• Allow to stand at room temperature until needed tossing occasionally.

2.      In a medium pot place the beets and cover with 2 inches of water and 4g (1 t) kosher salt.

• Bring to a boil covered.

• Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 – 15 minutes or until the beets are tender all the way through when tasted.

• Drain and set aside.

Continue to Step 3 while the beets cook.

3.      Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

• Salt the water as you would for pasta.

• Blanch the cauliflower for 2 – 3 minutes or until mostly tender.

• Remove with a strainer to a bowl but reserve the boiling water.

You can shock the cauliflower in ice water but more often than not I’m too lazy to go through that step.

By taking the cauliflower out a touch early, as it cools, it will continue to cook to the proper temperature.

• Add the pasta to the water and cook 90 seconds shy of the package cooking directions**.

The pasta should be mostly cooked through but still have some texture.

• Drain but do not rinse.

• Allow the pasta to cool in the colander tossing every 10 minutes or so until fully cooled, about 1 hour.

4.      In an extra large mixing bowl stir together the dressing ingredients until combined.

• Add the beets, cauliflower, pasta, carrots and drained onions.

• Toss everything together well.

• Refrigerate covered for at least 6 hours.

• Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired.

5.      Serve.