Why it works: Tomato and olive are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 15,539 recipes. Both carry 3-hexenal, which smells apple, fruity. The science ↓
Corn 'n' Peas Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the salad
Cook pasta until al dente.
Drain and rinse with cold water.
In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta and all remaining salad ingredients; toss lightly.
Dress and chill
In a small bowl, combine all dressing ingredients and mix well.
Pour over salad and toss lightly to coat.
Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Serve
To serve, line a platter or bowl with lettuce leaves.
Spoon salad over lettuce leaves and top with cilantro.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 13 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Corn | 1/2 cup kernels (82g) | 77 |
| Pea | 1/2 cup (72g) | 62 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Bell Pepper | 1 medium (119g) | 31 |
| Plum | 1 medium (66g) | 30 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Lime | juice of 1 lime (44ml) | 11 |
| Lettuce | 1 cup shredded (36g) | 5 |
| Olive | 1 large (4g) | 4 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Cilantro | 1 tbsp chopped fresh (1g) | 1 |
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.
-
Tomato + olivetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together15,539 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
-
Tomato + corntop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,099 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Plum + tomatotop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,480 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Tomato + peppertop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,923 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Plum + olivetop 8% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,266 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Rotini pasta
- Forms the bulk of the salad and holds the dressing and vegetables together.
- Peas
- Add sweetness and a tender, soft texture to the salad.
- Blackeyed peas
- Add body and a creamy, starchy texture that makes the salad more filling.
- Corn
- Adds sweetness and a crisp-tender bite.
- Plum tomatoes
- Add moisture and a fresh, slightly acidic flavor.
- Salsa
- Adds acidity, spice and savory depth to the dressing.
The step that matters
Drain and rinse the pasta well. Rinsing cooked pasta in cold water stops residual cooking, so the rotini stays firm rather than soft and mushy once it is chilled and dressed.
Swap the peas
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (plum, tomato, onion, pepper, corn, olive, vinegar):
- Beansfits better
- Chickpeafits better
- Black-eyed peafits better
- Peasthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against plum, tomato, onion, pepper, corn, olive, vinegar. 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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