Just some brightness

Something a little brighter today, in lieu of all the darkness swirling around in the world these days. A bit more relaxing than the news on the telly, some Planet Earth perhaps. Maybe slide a beer down my throat while the calming voice of David Attenborough overlays the soothing sounds of ocean waves and swelling orchestral music. Ignore the news for a bit. Take in something a little greener, to mark the cooler weather of spring today, maybe fiddle around with the mango, lime, and lychee granita chilling in the freezer. Really, I'm suggesting you, me, all of us, just take a bit of a breather tonight. 

In Annapolis, there's a small grocery store chain called "Graul's" and they always carry some of the tastiest ready-to-go items. I'm not usually one to partake of this fluorescent display case, but at Graul's, I can't help myself. Maybe it stems from my love of buffets, because I think it's still okay sometimes to have quantity over quality. Where else is a family with four children supposed to go without breaking the bank? 

I guess there is still a line though. It's rare for me to want to pull something from the ready-to-go case at giant chain stores like Safeway, mostly because the prepared food looks like it's been sitting in purgatory for days. At small town stores though, like Graul's or perhaps the Annapolis Seafood market, ready-to-go salads have some sway over me. A few days ago, we stopped by Graul's to pick up some food for someone else and, despite a cursory glance at the ready-to-go buffet, managed to resist getting anything for ourselves. We were still dreaming about that crawfish salad from the seafood market, I suppose. Unfortunately, that one glance at the peppery pea and pasta salad in the display case was enough to create a craving inside of me a few days later. Cravings are so hard to shake.

"pre-dressing"

So while it may be obsessive, making so many pasta salads in so few days, at least it's for a good cause. This pasta salad is by far the best one so far, and one I'll make again soon. It's pretty and green and yellow and white and red. Full of color, which always makes me feel like I'm eating something healthy. I'm not saying it is though - there's a healthy dose of mayonnaise in the dressing - but you could always make it healthier by omitting the creamy dressing and using some olive oil instead. I wouldn't recommend that though. After all, healthy does not relaxing make, and this pasta salad has just the right amount of tang to bring a spring to your step.

Apologies for the ramble. 

Anyway, you all know how pasta salads work. I have faith in your ability to figure it out. I'm really not concerned about any of you being totally lost in the recipe, so I was verbose per usual. I hope it doesn't deter you from trying this simple take on creamy pasta salad. 

Creamy Mezze Rigatoni Salad

serves 4

8 oz. dried mezze rigatoni  

7 stalks gai lan (Chinese broccoli)

4-5 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped*

1/2 C canned corn

2 teaspoons garlic salt

freshly ground black pepper

pine nuts (optional)

dressing

3 TB plain kefir or yogurt

1/3 C mayonnaise

1 TB horseradish 

1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

*Note: I used Trader Joe's Bits and Pieces for this; you can use bacon or any type of ham/salami you have on hand. If you do use the Bits and Pieces though, please make sure you really finely chop/macerate the fat chunks well. No one likes to be eating chunks of fat. In detail, I separated the fat from the meat and went to town on the fat, leaving the meaty bits in larger pieces. I then cooked the fat on low heat until the pieces became crispy and most of the fat had rendered out, drained off any lard, then added the meaty bits to the pan and fried it all until it had crisped up a bit more.

Bring lightly-salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until it achieves your desired texture (al dente or softer). Drain pasta, rinse with cold water, and let cool. In another small bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients. 

Slice the Chinese broccoli into thin strips, especially making sure the stems have been sliced into thin pieces. In a wide pan on low heat, fry the chopped bacon until the fat has been rendered and the bacon is crispy. Drain off excess fat and discard the fat. Add the corn to the pan and cook with the bacon bits on med-high heat, until the corn begins to brown. Add in the sliced Chinese broccoli and 2 teaspoons garlic sauce, tossing on med-high heat until the Chinese broccoli begins to wilt a bit. Do not overcook the Chinese broccoli; it should just be wilting and still be bright green and crunchy. 

Mix this vegetable/bacon medley with the cooked pasta and liberally season with freshly ground black pepper. Then add the creamy dressing and mix until the rigatoni is evenly coated and the ingredients are all evenly mixed. Serve warm topped with pine nuts, or store in refrigerator and then serve cold.