The One Summer Pasta Salad Recipe That Vanished in Minutes: What Editors Discovered

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Store-bought dressings lean on high-fructose corn syrup and xanthan gum to simulate thickness. When chilled, these stabilizers turn into a glossy gel that slides right off slick semolina ridges. A reliable non-soggy pasta dressing requires a calibrated homemade emulsion.

The winning ratio balances robust acidity with high-grade fats:

• 1/2 cup aged red wine vinegar and 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice.
• 1 tablespoon coarse Dijon mustard and 1 teaspoon honey. Mustard provides natural lecithin, locking water and fat together.
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil cut with 1/4 cup neutral avocado oil. Pure olive oil can congeal in the refrigerator; avocado oil keeps the emulsion fluid at 38°F.
• 2 grated garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil, and 1/2 teaspoon cracked red pepper flakes.

Whisk the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, honey, and aromatics first. Stream in the oils gradually until the liquid turns completely opaque. This dressing clings stubbornly to the spirals of rotini, holding suspended pepper bits in every groove without puddling.