Hawaiian Pasta Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
Creamy Tofu Dressing
- 12.3 oz firm silken tofu (1 package, see note about using soft tofu)
- 1 oz super sweet white corn, frozen
- 1½ tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 4 tsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp dry mustard
- 2 dashes kala namak
- pinch white pepper (about half of 1/8 tsp)
Pasta Salad
- 14 oz wagon wheel pasta, dry (or similar sized shape)
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 large carrot, shredded coarsely (or 2 smaller carrots)
- 4 tsp minced onion, dry (or 2 tbsp minced fresh onion)
- 2 cups Creamy Tofu Dressing (2 cups is one full batch. See recipe above.)
- ¼ tsp black pepper (plus more to taste)
- salt, to taste (optional)
- 4 scallions sliced
Instructions
- Cook pasta until al dente
- Drain pasta and return to pan (do NOT rinse)
- While pasta is hot, stir in shredded carrot and apple cider vinegar
- Cover pasta and refrigerate 20-30 minutes until it's closer to room temperature or starting to cool
- Make the Creamy Tofu Dressing in a high speed blender by adding all ingredients and blending for 45-60 seconds
- Add pepper, and optional salt to Creamy Tofu Dressing, taste, and add any additional sugar, pepper, or salt as desired (I usually add just ⅛ tsp more black pepper)
- Fold Creamy Tofu Dressing, scallions, and minced onion into pasta
- Serve immediately or chill to allow the flavors to meld
- This pasta lasts for several days in the refrigerator
Notes
Sweet & Tangy Hawaiian Pasta Salad
Update: 6/4/2023 — I have updated this recipe to include detailed photos and have updated the amounts to make a full-sized batch using 14 ounces of pasta.
Update: 10/28/2023 — I have updated this recipe by replacing the cane sugar with maple syrup and fine-tuning the amount of black pepper.
Dedication
This Hawaiian Pasta Salad is tossed with colorful shreds of carrot, scallion greens and whites, and a sweet McDougall-inspired dressing. It’s a nourishing and satisfying dish that’s perfect for gatherings, BBQs, potlucks, or family dinners.
About the Dressing
I’ve always really disliked any sort of “tofu mayonnaise”, probably because I have a strong taste connection with traditional mayonnaise. Let’s be real, it just doesn’t taste like mayo. But what if the silken tofu was used to make a Sweet Hawaiian Pasta Salad dressing?
If you’re generally against a sauce made of firm silken tofu, I encourage you to give this a try. If you don’t like it, there’s no hope for you ever liking a silken tofu dressing. Just kidding, keep at it, taste buds really do change, and it takes time. Don’t worry, there are many delicious foods in this world for you either way!
Visual Steps
