Give Your Pasta Salad A German Flair With One Ingredient

A great picnic or potluck often starts with a good pasta salad. After all, what's better than digging into this flavorful dish as you soak up the sun and enjoy the outdoor festivities? With a dish as familiar as this one, you probably have loads of foolproof recipes in your cooking repertoire already. But hey, it's always fun to try new things (and with pasta salad, you've got plenty of mix-in options). How about shaking things up with German bologna? This simple touch of German flair is all you need for a special twist to elevate your pasta salad.

Much like its Italian counterpart, German bologna (also known as Fleischwurst) is made of cured pork or beef. However, the primary difference lies in its heavy use of garlic cloves or garlic powder and added spices such as pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and turmeric. At German specialty stores, you may find this variety tied in a horseshoe shape and labeled as "garlic bologna" or "garlic ring bologna."

When added to pasta salad, it imparts a uniquely smoky, salty taste and a garlicky aroma. This richness is a striking contrast with the creamy, tangy flavor you typically expect from pasta salads. Not to worry, however, as the difference only makes the flavor profile more diverse and intricate. 

Adding German bologna to your pasta salad is as straightforward as it gets. All you need to do is remove the outer casing and slice the large sausage into bite-sized pieces. Since it comes pre-cooked, no additional prep is needed.

You can use it with any pasta salad you like, from a basic macaroni salad to a traditional nudelsalat (German pasta salad). Nudelsalat typically includes corn, carrots, cornichons, and peas, with plenty of room for customization. For a mildly sweet and sour touch, go for gherkins. On the other hand, bring spiciness with diced jalapeños or red pepper flakes. Beyond that, you can also incorporate cheese cubes and hard-boiled eggs for textural variety. Make a mayo-based dressing mixed with yogurt, cornichon brine, German mustard, and spices; give everything a quick toss; and your pasta salad is good to go.

Since you already have German bologna in your pasta salad, why not lean further into the cuisine's influence and make a full-on German meal? Nudelsalat is marvelous when paired with German main courses like crispy schnitzel or a sauce-drenched rouladen. Of course, with hearty grilled food like hamburgers or steaks, it's as good a side dish as any regular pasta salad. There are no rules, so enjoy.