Just like any other salad, making a good pasta salad is all about creating a balance of flavors and textures. The textures, in this case, are tender noodles, paired with vegetables (both pickled and fresh), a little cheese or cured meat, and maybe some crunchy elements. It’s all held together by a dressing, usually something mayo-based, though vinaigrettes are not unheard. However, I like to use a tub of dip.
Dip has everything you want in a pasta salad. It’s (usually) creamy, tangy, and highly seasoned, so all you have to do is dump it in and stir it around. The dip will coat and season the pasta (and any other ingredients) creating a cohesive, flavorful salad without a ton of ingredients.
The success of this maneuver obviously hinges on the quality of your dip. A bland dip might need a little salt or pepper (or MSG), but that’s an easy thing to adjust. Still, make sure you actually like the flavor of the dip, as it’s going to be all over your pasta. I grabbed an “everything bagel” dip without knowing what it tasted like, and luckily it was decent. (I did have to adjust the seasonings a little).
Photo: Claire Lower
Once you have your dip, you’ll want to grab ingredients that complement it. I went with capers, cherry tomatoes, and crushed up bagel chips, though I wish I had added a little raw onion, and a little lox wouldn’t have been bad either. (The other dip I was eyeing was a roasted corn dip; I would have paired that with cotija, fresh raw corn, and lots of cilantro.)
Cook your pasta, a few minutes longer than the box tells you to, so the pasta is soft, but not completely mushy. Taking the noodles “too far” prevents them from getting crunchy and stiff when they cool (a process known as “starch retrogradation”).
Drain the pasta and let it cool, then toss it, and the other ingredients, with the dip, a little at a time, until everything is coated to your liking. I used 3/4 cup dip for 8 ounces of (dried) pasta. Give it a taste, adjust the seasonings as needed, and serve. You can use my recipe for everything bagel pasta salad as a template, but you don’t really need one. It’s pretty intuitive.
Easy Everything Bagel Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
8 ounces dried pasta of choice (Go for a short and thick-ish shape; avoid stringy stuff like spaghetti.)3/4 cup Everything Bagel dip or spread1 dry pint cherry tomatoes, quartered1/2 cup capers1 bunch sliced scallions, green parts only1/4-1/2 cup bagel chip bits, for garnishSalt and pepper to tasteAdditional everything bagel seasoning to tasteOptional: Lox, raw onion, dehydrated caramelized onions, or anything else you like on a bagel.Cook your pasta, adding a few minutes to the cook time. Cook until the pasta is soft, but not mushy. Reserve a cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta and rinse with cold water. Once the pasta is completely cool, add the dip and toss to combine. If the dip is too thick, add a teaspoon of pasta water to help loosen it up.
Give the noodles a taste and season with salt, pepper, and/or MSG if needed. Toss and taste again. Add the tomatoes, capers, half of the scallions (and any other “optional” ingredients you desire. Toss again, and garnish with remaining scallions and bagel chips. Season with extra bagel seasoning if you are so inclined. Salad will keep for 3-5 days in the fridge.
