Pickle Bacon Pasta Salad
Inevitably when I move into a new apartment, which I have done 11 times since I started this blog, I at one point get sick of all the takeout and decided to pull something together from the random stuff I have on hand. Some I moved with, some I got in a “basics” grocery run, and there is always pasta involved. This time was no different, I have been carting some bacon and pickles around the whole damn country through a hurricane to end up in this tasty pasta salad.
Italians will always encourage you to dress pasta immediately when it comes out of the boiling water and I think that this philosophy can apply to pasta salad as well. Any ingredients that can stand up to some heat can go in while the pasta is still hot, and the rest can go in when it cools. For this pasta salad, most of the ingredients were fine with a little heat. I started with the mayo, tomato, bacon, and shallot. A little bacon fat for good measure.
Then I added the pickles, pickle juice, and italian dressing as it started to cool. The kale went in when it was room temp and then I put it into the fridge for an hour.
Tasty stuff! Serve with beer! Adjust seasonings as desired!
Pickle Bacon Pasta Salad
A tasty pasta salad with pickles, bacon, lots of tomato, and kale.
Servings: 5 people
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound elbow pasta
- 1/4 pound bacon cooked with a tablespoon of fat reserved
- 1 small shallot minced
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1 1/2 cups chopped tomato
- 1 cup chopped pickles
- 1/4 cup pickle juice
- 1/4 cup Italian dressing
- 3/4 cup chopped kale
Instructions
- Cook the pasta and strain. Immediately while still hot, add the bacon, bacon fat, shallot, mayo, and tomatoes. Stir to combine. If you don’t have a shallot you can use a few tablespoons of minced red onion, or a scallion.
- A few minutes later add in the pickles, pickle juice, and dressing and stir to combine.
- Finally add in the kale and stir to combine. Allow to cool in the fridge for an hour at least before serving.
