Adobo Pasta Salad
Inspired by a favorite restaurant's pasta salad, but with more ingredients to make it a meal. This fresh and zesty salad is perfect for summer.
Inspired by a favorite restaurant's pasta salad, but with more ingredients to make it a meal. This fresh and zesty salad is perfect for summer.
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 cup light sour cream
- 1 lime juiced
- 1 red onion finely chopped
- 1 tbsp evoo
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1 cup monterey jack cheese grated
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1 lb fettucine noodles broken in half and cooked al dente
- 2 zucchini diced
- 1 red bell pepper seeded and diced
- 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes preferably packed in oil, rinsed and chopped
- 3 roma tomatoes diced
- 4 ears corn cut from the cob
- 2 cups broccoli cut into florets and steamed
- 1 can black beans drained
- fresh cilantro for garnish
- chipotle crema dressing
- 1/2 cup low fat mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp buttermilk or milk
- 1/4 chipotle chile pepper in adobo sauce, more if desired
- 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
- 1/4 tsp worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 tsp ground corriander
- Carbohydrate 125.985049627746 g
- Cholesterol 118.956857533416 mg
- Fat 31.7401374003006 g
- Fiber 14.4756124437353 g
- Protein 43.3873787565242 g
- Saturated Fat 11.2947065424647 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (756g)
- Sodium 482.224433150525 mg
- Sugar 111.509437184011 g
- Trans Fat 2.72707973663245 g
- Calories 935 calories
Step-by-step
- Combine dressing ingredients in a food processor or blender. Mix until well combined. Dressing can be refrigerated until salad is ready to serve. *Note: The amount of chipotle you add is really up to you. More will make the dressing spicier and more smoky. If you want a more refreshing dressing, cut back on the chipotle pepper and add a little ground cayenne pepper to add kick without the smokiness.
- In a large saute pan, heat EVOO and briefly saute the squash cubes, corn, and onion over high heat until just golden, being careful not to overcook the squash so it gets mushy. You just want to take the raw edge off a bit.
- To serve the salad, toss a single serving portion of the noodles with some of the dressing to coat. Then, on the bed of noodles layer the vegetables, then cheese (don't skimp), then black beans and cilantro. Drizzle dressing over the top until satisfactorily coated. Enjoy!
Replacing dried chipotle en adobo with chili powder fundamentally alters the chemistry of the dressing by eliminating the acetic acid from the canning liquid, requiring an extra splash of sherry vinegar to balance the fat from the mayonnaise and sour cream base. Blending the dairy, smoked peppers, and vinegar in a food processor for 45 seconds emulsifies the fats smoothly, producing a medium-viscosity coating that clings to starch molecules without pooling at the base of the bowl.
Thermal Management and Vegetable Sequencing
Cooking pasta for a cold salad requires boiling the noodles one minute past standard al dente timing, then shocking them immediately in ice water for 60 seconds to halt starch gelatinization and prevent the strands from absorbing too much dressing later. Sauteing the zucchini, corn, and red onion demands high heat in a wide skillet for precisely three minutes; this brief window caramelizes surface sugars while keeping the internal pectin intact, preventing the squash from turning mushy against the cold noodles.Preserved Versus Fresh Produce Dynamics
Utilizing canned black beans and oil-packed sundried tomatoes introduces concentrated sodium and glutamates that balance the bright, volatile acidity of freshly squeezed lime juice and raw roma tomatoes. Rinsing canned beans under cold water for 30 seconds removes excess starches that would otherwise cloud the dressing and dull the vibrant red hues of the bell peppers. Assembling the components immediately before eating preserves the contrasting textures of crisp corn kernels and soft pasta strands.
