Hawaiian Pasta Salad

A traditional Hawaiian Pasta Salad does not include fresh pineapple, however, the combination of the two is just wonderful! Loaded with lots of fresh veggies, and prepared with a lightened up creamy sauce, this version is delightfully refreshing and delicious too!

Let’s talk about pineapples. I’m not a fan of cooked pineapple, which is why I never put it on pizza. Having worked at a pizza joint for about four years as a teenager, it seems that the pineapple on pizza debate is pretty much split right down the middle. I love fresh pineapples, but if they are heated in any way, I don’t care for them. I think that is partially why this Hawaiian Pasta Salad was such a hit!

When I say that I love fresh pineapple, I really do mean it! If the pineapple comes from a can, I don’t like it at all. Not only does it taste quite different, but it’s also not as firm; it’s slimy. With that said, I want you to know that if you don’t have any fresh pineapple, you can certainly use canned pineapple chunks for this salad recipe. Just be sure to drain them well so that you don’t have a soggy salad.

Traditionally, a Hawaiian Pasta Salad is made with pasta, shredded carrots, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper. Sure, variations of it might include another ingredient or two, but my version is much more substantial and more filling too! I’ve added green and red bell peppers, along with fresh pineapple, green onions, and cheddar cheese too! I hope you’re ready for this one because it really is the quintessential summer pasta salad!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Pasta – You will need to cook your pasta in salted water. Once cooked, drain it and rinse it under cold running water to get rid of the starch and to stop the cooking process. This will guarantee a non-clumping salad.
• Pineapple – I used fresh pineapple because I think it tastes better. You can use canned pineapple chunks. Be sure to drain them well to avoid ending up with a wet pasta salad.
• Bell Peppers – Use red and green to get not only a really good flavour but also lots of bright colours.
• Carrots – One small carrot, peeled and julienned is all you need.
• Cheese – Cheddar cheese is so good in this salad. If you used shredded cheese, it gets too soft, so buy a brick of cheese and dice it for best results.
• Green Onions – These add freshness, colour, and lots of flavour.
• Mayonnaise – You can use any mayonnaise, even the fat-free stuff!
• Sour Cream – Use low fat, non-fat, full fat – whatever you have on hand.
• Vinegar – I love the flavour of rice vinegar in dishes like this. If you don’t have rice vinegar, white wine or apple cider vinegar.
• Sugar – For more sweetness. It also helps to make the sour cream mixture thinner once the sugar dissolves.
• Salt & Pepper – For seasoning – I love lots of black pepper, but use very little salt, because there’s saltiness in some of the other ingredients.

HOW TO JULIENNE A VEGETABLE

Please note that I julienned the carrots. To julienne is the process of slicing vegetables into what some refer to as matchsticks. It’s very thin, very sleek, sticks of vegetables – in this case, carrots.

Start by peeling the carrot and washing it. I like to pat the carrot dry with a paper towel. This helps to keep it from slipping on the cutting board. Lay the carrot with the fat end closest to you. The carrot should be on an extreme diagonal. Slice the carrot into very thin slices – about 1/8th of an inch.

Once done, pile about six or so of the carrot slices on top of each other. Next, slice down through the pile to create matchstick pieces. This is referred to as julienning. If this isn’t clear, you can watch a video here.

HOW TO MAKE HAWAIIAN PASTA SALAD

Pasta salads are one of the easiest types of recipes to make, which is probably why there are so many versions, varieties, and flavour combinations out there. The chopping, slicing, and dicing is the easy part. In fact, making the sauce or dressing mixture is easy too, especially if you’re following a recipe. The difficult part is properly cooking the pasta so that it doesn’t get mushy while sitting in the sauce mixture for a few hours. Read the next section about cooking pasta for more info. If you follow my directions, you’ll never end up with overcooked, mushy, slimy pasta again!

So, to make this Hawaiian Pasta Salad, start by cooking the pasta. Drain it well and rinse under cold running water to get rid of the starch and to stop the cooking process. Set it aside for now while you prepare the veggies and the cheese. Once that’s done, it’s time to prepare the sauce for the salad. Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, salt, pepper, and sugar to a bowl. Whisk well to combine.

Add the cooled pasta to a large mixing bowl, along with the red and green peppers, carrots, green onions, pineapple, and cheese. Toss gently to combine. Pour over the sauce and toss once again until everything is evenly coated. Transfer the salad to a food-safe container with a tight-fitting lid. Refrigerate for a minimum of two hours. This salad can be made a day in advance. Before serving, toss and incorporate any sauce that might have settled at the bottom of the bowl. Enjoy!

COOKING PASTA

Let me talk to you a bit about how to get the pasta just right without overcooking it. Someone once told me that I prepare pasta like an old Italian grandma. That has stuck we me for so many years. You see, Dear Reader, I’m far from perfect, but cooking pasta is one thing I can certainly do perfectly. I don’t care what the back of the pasta package says, cook your pasta according to taste and texture. Ignore everything else. Here are my 4 steadfast rules:

Rule #1: Say no to oil!

Do you add oil to your pasta water before adding the pasta? Stop that right now! I don’t know who’s responsible for that, but I have seen some TV chefs do it! If you add oil to your pasta water, do you know what happens when you put the sauce on it? The sauce won’t stick as well as it should. It will slide off, because the oil prevents it from sticking.

Rule #2: Add extra salt!

Salt the water. I used to be so afraid of salting pasta water, because I thought it would be too salty to eat. Salting the water, before you add the pasta, is the only chance you get to season that pasta. Let the water come to a full boil before adding your salt. The water should taste like the ocean. Don’t dump the salt in; stir it in. Preventing the salt from settling at the bottom of your pot will keep your pot looking shiny and new. If you have pots with what looks like a tarnished or unpolished interior bottom, it’s because salt sat at the bottom of your pot.

Rule #3: Get that pasta moving about immediately!

Stir the pasta for a good minute when you first add it to the water. This helps to wash off some of the starch and prevents the pasta from sticking to the pot and to itself. I always pull out a piece of pasta 4 minutes before the package says it will be ready. Taste it. Chew it. It shouldn’t be completely soft. If it has a bit of bite left in the center, get it out of the water and drain it immediately. You can thank me later!

Rule #4: Do not rinse! – EXCEPT IN THIS CASE

So many of us are tempted to rinse pasta under running water after it’s been drained. I think it comes from the notion that it gets rid of the starch. Well, it does in a way. But, when pasta begins to cool off and dry, it becomes a little sticky. That stickiness soaks up pasta sauce, so don’t flush it out! A quick drain is all you need. Get the pasta into a bowl or onto a plate. Get the sauce on it and serve it up. (That all applies to hot pasta dishes, but for a pasta salad, go ahead and rinse. Get all of that starch off!)

STORING AND REFRIGERATION

It’s important to let the salad chill in the fridge for at least two hours. This will allow the ingredients time to hang out and get to know each other! The vegetables and pasta will absorb some of the sauce and its flavour. The cheese will soften just slightly. The sugar in the sauce will sweeten the other ingredients. And, the rice vinegar is working its magic. There are a lot of things happening in that bowl, aren’t there!?

After two hours, the salad is ready to serve. Toss it again before plating just to freshen everything up. The salad does tend to settle a little bit. You can safely store this salad in your fridge for up to three days. Be sure to keep the salad covered at all times.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

There are times when I sit down to a meal and I want everything on my plate to taste different – complementary, but different, nonetheless. But, in some cases, I want everything – both the main and the sides – to have a dominant flavour that can be tasted in every bite. In the case of this Hawaiian Pasta Salad, the dominant flavour will be the juicy pineapple. So, why not run with it and make your main and other sides with pineapple too?

Try these Hawaiian Chicken Skewers, which are marinated with savoury soy and sweet pineapple juice. They are then grilled and so delicious! If you’re not feeling up to grilling, you can make this Pineapple Sesame Chicken. And, for dessert, why not try my Pineapple Christmas Balls? Sure, they’re for Christmastime, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make them now! My mom used to make them all year round. Either way, I trust you will enjoy this pasta salad as much as we did. I’ll certainly make it a few more times before summer is over!