Servings
Font
Back
4.7 from 78 votes

Cajun Pasta Salad

Spice up a boring side dish with this Cajun pasta salad!

Prep Time
20 mins
Total Time
20 mins
Servings: 12
Calories: 264 kcal
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Salad
  • 1 pound pasta elbows, shells or rotini or other small pasta
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 scallions
  • 1 red pepper
  • 4 ribs celery
Dressing
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 Tablespoon mustard Creole, Dijon or spicy brown
  • 2 cloves garlic grated
  • 2 teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning *see note
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoon prepared horseradish
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dill pickle juice
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • up to 2 teaspoon salt optional *see note

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Put a large pot of water on the stove and bring it to a boil. Cook the pasta as directed by the package instructions.
  2. While the pasta cooks clean and dice the celery and red pepper. Separate the scallion whites from the greens and dice both. Set the green parts aside to garnish the salad.
  3. After the pasta is done drain it in a colander. Run cold water through it to cool it off quickly. Put the drained and cooled pasta in a large salad bowl. Toss it with the olive oil.
  4. Add the diced celery, red pepper and white part of the scallions to the salad bowl. Stir to mix.
  5. In a small bowl combine the mayonnaise, mustard, grated garlic, Cajun seasoning, lemon juice, horseradish, hot sauce, dill pickle juice, paprika and pepper. Stir to whisk it all together.
  6. Taste a small amount of the dressing and determine if it needs salt or not. This will depend on how much salt your Cajun seasoning includes, if any. Add salt if necessary and stir the dressing again.
  7. Pour the dressing over the pasta and stir to coat all the pasta. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
  8. Serve garnished with a sprinkle of paprika and the reserved green scallion tops.
  9. This salad keeps well in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. It will thicken a bit over time. If desired you can stir in a few tablespoons of water before serving.

Notes

  • Brands of Cajun seasoning differ in how much salt they have. If your Cajun seasoning includes salt you might not need to add any extra to this recipe. If it has no salt you probably will want to add 1-2 teaspoons of salt. So for best results check the ingredients on your Cajun seasoning and taste test the dressing after mixing it and then decide how much salt to add.
  • Add 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to make this recipe spicier.
  • If you don't have dill pickle juice substitute vinegar.
  • Cherry tomatoes, dill pickles or hard boiled eggs make delicious additions to the salad.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1g Calories 264kcal (13%) Carbohydrates 26g (9%) Protein 5g (10%) Fat 16g (25%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Polyunsaturated Fat 13g Cholesterol 8mg (3%) Sodium 718mg (30%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 2g (4%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 264

% Daily Value*

Serving 1g
Calories 264kcal 13%
Carbohydrates 26g 9%
Protein 5g 10%
Fat 16g 25%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Polyunsaturated Fat 13g 76%
Cholesterol 8mg 3%
Sodium 718mg 30%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 2g 4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.