dill macaroni salad.

The most rewarding thing about cooking is when you start to feel comfortable cooking without a recipe.

Believe me, I’m addicted to recipes. I read cookbooks in bed like novels – it’s true. But lately, I’ve been making due with what’s in my fridge more. When I’m doing really extensive meals and grocery shopping over the weekend, the last thing I want to think about is what I’m going to make for the rest of the week. I usually have some odds and ends leftover, and so I’ve been putting those to use in my weeknight meals. Last night, for example…

I had some leftover fresh mozzarella, basil, and cherry tomatoes – so I made some pasta. I puréed a quick sauce of roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and a drizzle of olive oil, and then heated it up over a little garlic sizzling in a pan with olive oil. I added bit of half-and-half, and tossed this with the the pasta, chopped cherry tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella. It was delicious. It was easy. And I didn’t waste what was in my fridge. Triple-win.

I suppose I’m getting a little off-topic here, but this macaroni salad was also made on a whim, although for a different purpose than throwing together a weeknight meal. This macaroni salad came as a result of nothing more than the fact that I wanted to make it. I had an idea in my head of how I wanted it to taste. And I didn’t need a recipe to make that happen.

The only danger with this type of recipe-less cooking is that I don’t measure things as I cook – so after the fact, it’s really a guesstimate. I hope that doesn’t deter you from making it, and in fact I encourage you to do it and trust your own instincts as you go. That’s really how you learn to cook. The advice I can offer is to always start with less, because you can always add more as you taste and go.

If you’re feeling particularly frisky, you can play with this recipe more and make it your own. Add some chopped celery for additional crunch, or maybe a few chopped hard-boiled eggs. Toss is some ham or tuna and make it a meal. How about some cubed Cheddar or Swiss? That sounds good. I might have to try that next time.

Dill Macaroni Salad

• 1 pound elbow pasta
• 1 cup good mayo {I use light or olive oil}
• Splash of cider vinegar
• Small handful fresh dill, finely chopped
• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
• Pinch of sugar
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Arugula, for serving

Cook pasta to al dente, drain and set aside. Mix remaining ingredients (except arugula) in a large serving bowl, tasting as you go. Does it taste too bitter? Add more sugar. Need more salt? Add another pinch. A little dry for your taste? Add some more mayo, or even a drizzle of olive oil. You get the idea.

Add pasta to bowl and toss. Serve over arugula. Not neccessary, but I think it looks pretty – and adds color to a meal that may be otherwise lacking.

Enjoy!