Pasta salad can be made in a variety of different ways. The recipe found in this article is for a version that uses smoked salmon. It also contains mayonnaise — although you could make a substitute for this, such as blending even parts of sour cream, yogurt and cottage cheese. As directed, the recipe should be sufficient servings for roughly 6 people. The entire preparation and cooking time could be around 30 minutes, although this may vary.

Ingredients

11 oz. pasta of your choice
1 onion, chopped
1 small carrot, grated
1/2 c. celery, chopped
1/2 c. cucumber, diced
8 oz. salmon, smoked, in 1/2 in. pieces
2 tsp. juice of lemon
1/3 c. mayo
Salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste

Directions

Get a pot that is sufficiently large, and fill it most of the way with water. Lightly salt it and, over high heat, bring it to a boil. Add the pasta and allow it to reach a boil again. Do not cover the pot while letting the pasta cook. Once it is thoroughly cooked, yet a bit firm, take it aside. This may be about 12 minutes. Drain the pasta and use cold water to rinse it. Then set it in a bowl to be mixed with the rest of the ingredients.

Mix all four vegetables and the smoked salmon into the pasta, getting the ingredients distributed evenly. Separately, mix the lemon juice and mayo, as well as any spices like salt, pepper, etc. Pour the sauce into the pasta salad, and again distribute everything as evenly as possible.