Pasta Salad Is Better When Mixed With Two Other Classics

One of the more flexible dinner options around, pasta salad welcomes numerous flavors to its starchy base. While some cooks like to incorporate antipasto classics like salami, olives, and peppers into the pasta salad, you need only turn to two other "salads" to bring plenty of protein and flavor to the table. The dishes in question? Egg salad and tuna salad. 

Often creamy and packing plenty of crunchy and tangy elements, these two salads act like a flavorful, punchy sauce for a pasta salad base. Think of pairing a penne or bowtie pasta salad with an egg-punctuated, tuna-rich mix. Other fresh ingredients and condiments normally added in are fair game here. Pickles, celery, relish, mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, oil, and hot sauce all have a place in this pasta salad. The best part is this fast and easy meal only gets better with time, so it's king of the leftover dishes. So, how should you go about making this triple salad mash-up? 

Much of this Frankenstein meal will be decided by what elements you're craving. Think of what pasta shape you want to work with and what overlying seasoning you'd like to take center stage. Curry, za'atar, and even a spicy-cheesy buffalo flavoring would be welcome. Next, consider what fresh, crunchy veggies you'd like to add in. Both tuna salad and egg salad rely on bell peppers, celery, and a bit of red onion to bring texture to the mix and would work here. Pickles and relish would also impart a good bit of texture as well as a splash of acidic flavor.  

The most important element to keep in mind when making your hybrid pasta-tune-egg salad is a balanced ratio of creamy ingredients to dry. Both tuna and pasta can be dry without dressing, so you'll want to have plenty of mayonnaise and/or oil to make the mix creamy. If you want a lightened-up take, you can mix in some Greek yogurt or mashed avocado in place of the mayonnaise. You can even add in some classic salad dressing, like Caesar or ranch, for a saucy shortcut. Whatever your choice, you'll find your mix of the three luncheon favorites to pack a dynamic flavor.