Creamy Dill Pasta Salad

Ah yes, the time of salad is upon us.

Goodness knows I barely feel like cooking most days (thanks to the endless pandemic and associated exhaustion) and if I do, my motivation wanes by the mid-afternoon, leaving me staring at the clock at 4 not wanting to do a thing.

So make-ahead salads have become my go-to. I make them while I still have gas in my tank in the morning and it makes my whole day feel that much brighter knowing I don’t have to do anything later on.

I love dill. You may have noticed it’s a running thread through many of my salads. I have recently come to the conclusion that it’s my favourite herb (duh).

If you’re not a fan of dill, you could try subbing it for another herb you like: parsley, cilantro, chives, basil (although I would cut the amount back to 2 tablespoons for the stronger herbs). If you try it out, let me know.

I’ll just be sticking with my dill.

Creamy Dill Pasta Salad Serves 4-6

3 cups dry pasta (whole grain for the added fibre!)
3-4 cups chopped veggies (carrots, broccoli, red cabbage, bean sprouts, cucumbers, etc. whatever you have on hand)

Dressing:
1/4 cup fresh dill
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar*
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar**
1/4 tsp salt
Few grinds of black pepper

Directions:
1. In a small blender, blend all of the dressing ingredients. Alternatively, the dill could just be finely chopped and mixed into all the ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.
2. Cook the pasta as per the package instructions.
3. While the pasta is cooking, chop all your veg and add to a large bowl (always think larger than you need to leave room for mixing-- a mistake I often make and then there's ingredients flying everywhere).
4. When the pasta is finished cooking, drain and rinse well-- this will prevent the pasta from sticking in the salad.
5. Mix the pasta, veggies, and dressing together and let cool in the fridge before eating.
6. Enjoy as a side to burgers, roasted meats, or grilled veg. It tastes especially nice when eaten out of doors.

*White balsamic tastes the same as regular balsamic but it won't turn everything it touches black. I enjoy using it in salad dressings and bruschetta.
**Gasp. I know. Sugar, in a healthy recipe. If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know that I’m a huge advocate of letting kids (or kids at heart) use dip with veggies if it means that a tablespoon or two of dip will equal a cup or two of veggies entering their bodies, I’m all for it. This dressing even makes a good dip. Anyways, sugar in small quantities is meant to balance the flavour of things and make them more palatable. Without the sugar in this dressing, it is very acidic, making kids, like my own, not want to touch it. A pinch of sugar and no one is fighting. And let’s be honest, that bit of sugar in a dressing will not make or break your diet, there are more sources of sugar in a diet that should be evaluated before a salad dressing.

I hope you all have a beautiful day where ever you are.