And I’m not just talking about bits of bacon tossed with the noodles. Sure, that will add color, texture and flavor to the salad but you can go a step farther.
I’m talking about tossing the noodles in a tablespoon of bacon fat before everything else is added. You’d be surprised at how much difference one ingredient in such a small amount can make.
You will need fatty bacon for this macaroni salad. Belly bacon. The kind that renders fat almost as soon as the rashers touch the surface of a hot pan.
You will need only a tablespoonful of the flavorful fat, but don’t worry if you get a lot more than that. You can set aside and chill what you won’t use, and reserve it for another cooking project.
If you need some assistance in cooking the macaroni, there is a detailed post on how to cook pasta to full al dente perfection minus all the hype that the web is full of.
How to cook al dente pasta minus the myths and hype
Is a pasta pan essential? How much water should the pasta cook in? Is adding salt and oil essential? Should the noodles be stirred? What is al dente? Read the answers to these questions, plus more!
If you’re not a fan of raw carrot, peel your carrot and toss, uncut, into the pot of boiling pasta. Cook for five minutes, scoop out, drain, cool and chop.
Bacon macaroni salad
Ingredients
- 100 grams belly bacon
- 3 cups cooked macaroni
- ¼ cup chopped carrot
- ¾ cup cheese - cubed (soft cheeses are particularly good for this salad)
- ½ cup crushed pineapple
- ¼ cup finely sliced scallions
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- salt - to taste
- white pepper - to taste
- sugar - to taste
Instructions
- Cut the bacon into thin strips.
- Fry in an oil-free pan until browned.
- Scoop out the browned bacon and drain on a stack of paper towels.
- Measure a tablespoonful of the bacon fat and pour over the macaroni and toss thoroughly.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and stir.
- Chill the bacon macaroni salad before serving.
