Baked Beans Are The Unexpected Addition Your Pasta Salad Needs

Summer is the season of cookouts and picnics, and what better side to bring along to these events than pasta salad? It's hearty, flavorful, and, most importantly, easy to make. Plus, it comes packed with summer vegetables that give it a pop of color on your dinner table.

Speaking of veggies, most pasta salad recipes call for vegetables like tomatoes and celery. However, there's one vegetable you probably haven't thought to add to your salad: baked beans. This ingredient adds a dash of smokiness to your salad while also bringing on the deep flavors of molasses and extra sweetness.

Another perk is that you don't need mayonnaise in this pasta salad recipe since the viscosity of the bean sauce already works to give your dish texture. That makes it a good pick for those with a sensitivity to eggs. Plus, while you can make your own baked beans to add to the mix, you can just as easily use a store-bought variety to save yourself time.

While the baked beans might be the focus of your pasta salad, you've got to consider what other veggies to mix in. As you do, think about what flavors might work well against the beans. One option might be to add some bitter veggies to balance out the sweet taste of the beans. Chunks of kale, roasted Brussels sprouts, or watercress can all be good picks here. Other vegetables that can create balance include those with a bit of a bite, such as radishes or chopped red onions. Or, go for acidic additions like pomegranate seeds, cranberries, or juicy cherry tomatoes.

Or, focus on texture instead. Crunchy picks like raw cauliflower or celery can be great ways to balance the soft pasta and mushy baked beans and add a better mouthfeel to your dish. 

You can add protein to your pasta salad, too. Cubes of honey-glazed ham can be a sweet addition that works well with your beans, or try adding some bacon pieces for a bit of smoky flavor. Another choice might be to go for tofu, which has a neutral taste and porous texture that soaks up the brown sugar and molasses sauce from your beans and becomes a bite bursting with flavor.

Although baked beans come in a sweet sauce of their own, once you add them to the pasta salad, you may find that it's not quite enough dressing to give the dish a moist, full flavor. That's where you can start playing around with your own sauce additions to create unique combos. Speaking of combos, there are a few different flavors that can work well against the sweetness of baked beans. One option could be to create balance by adding a bit of acidity. A lemon juice or a simple vinaigrette can work well and will also add a bit of zing to your pasta salad.

Another choice might be to add a bit of spice to your pasta salad. You could use a bit of sriracha to bring on the heat, or go for something more intense like a habanero hot sauce. Another choice might be to play up the sweetness even more by incorporating something like a sweet chili sauce. This sauce brings a dash of sourness and a light kick of spice that helps you avoid your pasta salad becoming cloying. Be as creative as you like and find a combination that creates balance in your meal.