Why it works: Carrot and dill match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 321 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Swedish Spaghetti Salad
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the pasta and vegetables
Break spaghetti in half.
Cook until tender.
Rinse and drain.
Rinse peas and carrots under hot water until defrosted. Drain, chill.
Assemble the salad
Salt and pepper, to taste.
Mix pasta, peas and carrots and dressing.
Garnish with shrimp and parsley.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 8 of 10 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Yogurt | 170g plain Greek | 100 |
| Shrimp | 100g cooked | 99 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Pea | 1/2 cup (72g) | 62 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Carrot | 1 medium (61g) | 25 |
| Dill | 5 sprigs fresh (1g) / 1 tsp dried | 4 |
| Capers | 1 tbsp (9g) drained | 2 |
| Salad | not in our table | 0 |
| Cocktail | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Carrot + dilltop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together321 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Dill + caperstop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together117 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
-
Peas + carrottop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,994 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine (green bell pepper, earthy).
-
Carrot + caperstop 10% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together288 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
-
Peas + dilltop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together116 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Spaghetti
- Forms the bulk of the salad and carries the dressing.
- Mayonnaise
- Provides richness and creaminess to bind the dressing.
- Sour cream or yogurt
- Adds tang and moisture to the creamy dressing.
- Frozen peas and carrots
- Add sweetness, colour and a tender bite to the salad.
- Cooked shrimp
- Adds savoury protein and flavour as the garnish.
The step that matters
Cook until tender, then rinse and drain. Pasta keeps softening as it cools, so rinsing well and chilling it removes residual heat and starch. This keeps the spaghetti firm and stops it turning mushy once it is dressed.
Swap the peas
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (carrot, shrimp, dill, cream, capers):
- Beansfits better
- Lentilsfits better
- Chickpeafits better
- Peasthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against carrot, shrimp, dill, cream, capers. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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