From Memorial Day all the way to Labor Day there’s a season wherein we crave all kinds of refreshing salads. One day I went on an internet search for a refreshing pasta salad. As sometimes happens, I found recipes that had certain elements that sounded appealing to me. I ended up borrowing ideas for some ingredients and adding some touches of my own. As it turned out, I’ve had some very positive comments when serving it. So I’ve decided to share the recipe with you.

I usually like to use two different fun shapes of pasta when making this recipe, to make the salad look more interesting. I made the version of the salad in the photo above when a relative with diabetic tendencies was visiting. I used only one shape of pasta in that instance, because I decided to use one of the new kinds of pasta that are higher in protein.

This summer has been plagued by cases of cyclosporiasis, suspected to have been caused by iceberg lettuce from a grower in Mexico. But lacking certainty of the source, we had to be cautious with other produce. Consequently, I scrubbed the cucumbers and the green pepper with warm, soapy water and rinsed them. Then I peeled the cucumbers. I trimmed the radishes and scrubbed the dirt off. I peeled off the outer layers of the sweet onion. In an abundance of caution, I dropped the green pepper, the onion, and the radishes in boiling water for a few seconds and dipped them out with a slotted spoon. I must admit that it was disappointing that the radishes lost their bright red hue. But I suppose it was a worthy trade-off for confidence in their safety. In hindsight, I believe it may have been a good idea to dip the vegetables in ice water after dropping them in the boiling water. It may have helped to preserve more of the crispness.

Below is my recipe for “Dilly Pasta Salad.” At the bottom of the page is an opportunity to open a copy you can print. Happy salad-eating!

DILLY PASTA SALAD

Serves about 10

Salad:                                                                                     Dressing:

2 cups farfalle pasta, cooked and cooled                         1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup rotini pasta, cooked and cooled                              2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 medium onion, chopped (preferably sweet)            1/3 cup vinegar (preferably red)

1 green pepper, chopped                                                   1 teaspoon dried dill weed

2 medium to large cucumbers, chopped                               OR 1 tablespoon fresh dill weed

1 large or 2 small tomatoes, chopped                             1-1/2 teaspoons salt

OR 1 bunch radishes, sliced                                          1/2 teaspoon pepper

Chill at least 2 hours. The flavor is even better the next day.

If using radishes, you may want to add them just before serving. The color sometimes bleeds.

For a printable copy of the recipe, CLICK HERE.