No Mayo Pasta Salad

5 from 1 vote

Dressed in a tangy res wine vinaigrette instead of mayonnaise, it's lighter and brighter than the classic.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Chill at least30

Total Time1

Course: Antojitos, Appetizer, Side Dish, side dishes

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 321kcal

Render the fat and crisp the bacon
4 slices bacon
Reserve the bacon fat (this can be added to the dressing), then place the bacon on absorbent paper to drain the remaining fat.
Cook the pasta according to the package. This step can be done ahead of time or while you are crisping the bacon.
1 cups dried pasta
In a mixing bowl, add the mustard, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add any other dried herbs you would like here as well.
1 tsbp Dijon mustard, ¼ cup red wine vinegar
Mix the reserved bacon fat with olive oil in a pourable container. Then, in a steady thin stream, incorporate the fat into the vinegar while constantly whisking to emulsify the dressing.
½ cup olive oil
In a bowl, add the pasta, diced vegetables, bacon bits, and garbanzos. Pour ¾ of the dressing and mix. Reserve the last of the dressing for just before serving.
1 small carrot, 1 stalk celery, ½ cucumber, ½ medium red onion, 12 grape tomatoes, 1 cup garbanzos
Chop some fresh herbs, such as culantro or parsley, to add a bright touch to the salad, then refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes before serving, so the flavors settle and the pasta can absorb the dressing.
4 leaves culantro
Just before serving, add the cheese and mix one more time with the remaining dressing. Taste and adjust salt before serving. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
4 oz Gouda Cheese

Salt your pasta water generously. This is the only chance you have to season the pasta itself. Under-seasoned pasta will make the whole salad taste flat, no matter how good your vinaigrette is.
Cook pasta al dente. Slightly firm pasta holds up better after tossing and chilling. Overcooked pasta will turn mushy after a few hours in the fridge.
Cool the pasta completely before dressing. Warm pasta absorbs dressing too aggressively, leaving the salad dry after chilling. Rinse with cold water and give it time.
Dress in two rounds. When you first toss the salad, use about three-quarters of the vinaigrette. Reserve the rest and add it right before serving. Pasta absorbs dressing as it sits in the fridge, so that the reserved portion refreshes the whole bowl and keeps it from tasting dry or flat.
Add the Gouda before serving. Gouda will soften and get soggy if it sits in the vinaigrette for hours. Add it right before you serve so every cube stays firm and clean.
Make it ahead. This no-mayo pasta salad tastes better after a few hours in the fridge as the flavors meld. Make it the night before, hold back a quarter of the dressing, and add it right before serving with a final taste for salt.

Taste before serving. Cold mutes flavor. What tasted well-seasoned before chilling may need another pinch of salt after refrigerating.