I made Cashew Dip w/ Lemon & Dill the other day along with a Grilled Salmon and Roasted Kabocha Squash Purée. It's probably inevitable that absolutely everything there was going to get combined into one dish. I've been toying with the idea of pasta salad all week. It's not quite the season for potato salad with winter so closely on the horizon. Although a good fall pasta salad sounds delicious. Especially since I've already been in kind of a pasta mood. In the last short while I've made Rigatoni w/ Kabocha Squash Lentils & Fresh Mozzarella and Rigatoni w/ Kabocha Squash Lentils & Fresh Mozzarella. I also had some leftover rigatoni from the box. So, today I tossed everything together in a Salmon Pasta Salad w/ Kabocha Squash, Dijon, & Fresh Dill.
Feel free to substitute your own favorite ingredients or what you have on hand. Rigatoni is kind of an odd pasta shape to use for dishes like this. I just like rigatoni and apparently am out of any other pasta shape! You can mix and match any produce or seasoning of choice. This is a great way to utilize leftovers if you have anything in the back of your refrigerator that might do well in a salad!
Gallery
Variations of Salmon Pasta Salad
I crave pasta salad more than I actually make it. It might be because I make a lot more Asian-inspired pasta salads than anything else. Vermicelli is in a variety of dishes from Italian to Thai. However, I like to toss it in as the noodles in a quasi-pasta salad dish. I'll usually add in a bit of tamari, tahini, and rice vinegar. Although pasta salads are a great dish to make your own. You really just want a little bit of citrus, vinegar, and a hefty amount of fresh fruits and vegetables. I'll even purée in some spinach or fry up some tofu for an added touch.
I used Roasted Kabocha Squash in this recipe. This takes a couple of hours and requires aluminum foil and a baking dish. I am a big fan of ambercup squash. It's a medium-sized variety with dense flesh and a lot of flavor. You can easily substitute butternut squash, pie pumpkin, or other gourd of choice.
I utilized some leftover salmon recipe. Baked Salmon takes about 15 minutes to cook in the oven, depending on the size of the filet. Otherwise Barbecue Salmon can also be made wrapped in foil on the grill.I also utilized some leftover salmon recipe. Baked Salmon takes about 15 minutes to cook in the oven, depending on the size of the filet. Otherwise Barbecue Salmon can also be made wrapped in foil on the grill.
Cook Pasta
Add about 4 inches of water to a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
Cook pasta according to the manufacturer's instructions. This typically entails boiling for about 8-12 minutes, or until barely al dente.
Remove the pasta from the water and chill until cool to the touch.You may want to stir it occasionally to keep the noodles from sticking together.
Assemble Salad
Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and mix to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate. This is a great recipe to make a day ahead of time and let chill.
Tips, Tricks, & Notes
I almost added a little bit of Greek yogurt and minced up pickles to this. Almost like it's a mayonnaise-free salmon-infused tartar sauce. Although I really just didn't want to break out a cutting board (I pulled apart the dill by hand). So, adding garlic, ginger, onion, shallots, or even pickles and Greek yogurt might also be a fun way to experiment with this recipe!
Leave a Reply