Salmon Pasta Salad

Sometimes I make all the parts of the salad the day before, and combine them quickly the next morning. I try to jam it back in the fridge before I “taste” too much of it. Something about fusilli is very appealing, besides the fact that the word sounds a bit like “feel silly.”
Use a fat-free mayonnaise substitute, and it’s a more healthful dish. We like to eat it on a bed of salad greens.

Salmon Pasta Salad

1 lb. salmon fillet, grilled, roasted or broiled and flaked (toss skin and any bones)
1 large red bell pepper, charred, skin peeled off (see note), chopped
1 large yellow bell pepper, charred, skin peeled off, chopped
6 green onions, thinly sliced (white plus 2 inches of green)
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil (optional)
1 tbsp. lemon juice (optional)
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Rosemary aioli:
1 cup favorite mayonnaise or substitute
1 to 2 tsp. finely minced fresh rosemary
2 to 4 cloves garlic, minced

6 cups mixed greens (optional)

Toss cooked fusilli with olive oil and salt; chill well.
Combine chopped peppers, green onions, and cooked salmon (with the additional olive oil and lemon juice if using. We liked it without the extra oil). Chill.
For aioli, blend mayo with garlic and rosemary. Toss with fusilli, then with salmon mixture. Chill well and serve cold on a bed of mixed greens, if desired.
Serves 6.

Note: To char and remove skins from bell peppers, I like to halve them and scoop out seeds, place them skin side up on a pan and broil them till sizzling and mostly black. (You can also do this right on a gas burner, using tongs to turn them.) Pop them into a paper bag and let sit for 10 minutes or so. (Place on a plate or layers of paper towels so you don’t get a puddle of pepper juice on your counter.) Peel off the skin when cool enough to handle and chop or slice.