I've a ton of recipes to try from my Food Network calendar, so last night was one of those. Both turned out to be keepers. We had turkey garden burgers and a dill macaroni salad, perfect for this hot weather.
Craig said he preferred my couscous/black bean salad, but sometimes a pasta salad just hits the spot. This one is sharp but not heavy, and I helped make it lower calorie by modifying the original recipe a little bit.
INGREDIENTS
1/4 medium red onion, minced
8 oz elbow macaroni
2 tbsp skim milk
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup nonfat sour cream
3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 ribs celery, diced
2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
1 tsp kosher salt
Pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. To mellow the minced onion, soak in cold water while you make the rest of the salad.
2. Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add macaroni and cook until al dente, according to package instructions (mine turned out to be about 9 minutes).
3. Drain macaroni, put in a serving bowl, and toss with the milk. Allow the macaroni to cool slightly while you make the dressing.
4. Whisk vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
5. Gradually whisk in olive oil, adding in a steady stream, to make a smooth, slightly thick dressing.
6. Whisk in the sour cream.
7. Drain onions, pat dry, and add to the macaroni, along with the peas, celery, and dill.
8. Add the dressing and fold to coat the pasta evenly.
NOTES: Makes roughly 6 cups, to serve 4-6 people. Refrigerating it for a few hours before serving will deepen the flavors, but make sure to give it a good stir to recoat all the pasta before dishing.
