Recipe: Pasta Salad with Salmon

Eris Weaver from Cotati, Calif., was looking for a recipe for a pasta salad made with salmon, peas and cottage cheese in the dressing. We had no luck locating that recipe, which the reader said came from a newsletter put out by Pacific Gas and Electric Co. sometime in the mid- to late 1980s. However, it seemed worth the research to try and find something similar.

This is the time of year when cold pasta salads can make for a wonderful meal, and the combination sounded appetizing. I tweaked a pasta salad recipe I found on CDkitchen by substituting peas for green beans, and I hope came close to replicating the dish that Weaver wanted.

It was easy to make and tasted delicious. The recipe is versatile and could certainly be made with whole wheat pasta for a super-healthy summer meal in a snap.

Pasta Salad with Salmon

Makes 4 servings as main dish and 8 as side

1 cup seashell pasta

1 cup fresh or frozen peas

1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

2 cans (6-ounce size) salmon, drained

Freshly ground black pepper

Lettuce leaves, for serving

1. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil, add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and rinse pasta under cold running water. Drain again and set aside.

2. Cook peas in water until just tender. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain again and set aside.

3. In food processor or through a sieve, purée cottage cheese. Add yogurt and lemon juice; mix well.

4. In a large bowl, combine pasta, peas, yogurt mixture and dill. Discard skin from salmon and break into chunks, taking care to remove any small bones; add salmon to pasta mixture and stir gently to mix. Season with freshly ground pepper to taste. Line serving plates with lettuce leaves and mound salad on top.