Pasta Salad with Fiddleheads, Bacon, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

A great way to use fiddlehead ferns. A very tasty late-spring salad. If you can't get fiddleheads you can always use green beans. This salad is great for a BBQ, picnic, or potluck!

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 40 mins
• Calories: 750 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 egg yolk
• ¾ cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 (16 ounce) package fusilli pasta
• 3 slices bacon
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 cups fiddlehead ferns
• 1 English cucumber, seeded and minced
• ½ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook the fusilli at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes; drain. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil into drained pasta; stir to coat.

Step 2

Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook the fiddlehead ferns at a boil until tender, 3 to 5 minutes; drain. Rinse the fiddleheads in cold water to stop from further cooking; drain.

Step 3

Cook bacon in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Crumble the bacon once cool enough to handle.

Step 4

Toss the pasta, fiddlehead ferns, crumbled bacon, and cucumber together in a large bowl.

Step 5

Combine sun-dried tomatoes, egg yolk, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and garlic in a bowl. Stream about 1/3 of the vegetable oil into the mixture while whisking vigorously until the mixture begins to emulsify. Stream the remainder of the olive oil into the dressing while whisking; season with salt and pepper.

Step 6

Pour the dressing onto the pasta mixture; stir to coat.