01
Tartar Sauce
6.7best for pasta1 tbsp : 1/2 tbsp
Mix with mayo for quick tartar
6.7
pickle relish substitute
in pasta.
Pickle Relish tossed with Pasta adds color, nutrition, and a satisfying bite to the dish. A stand-in should hold its texture in hot sauce without going mushy.
top substitutes
adjustment for this dish
Tartar sauce at 70 percent fat emulsifies directly with the starched pasta water at 180 F (vs relish's water-based brine), so use 1 tbsp per 0.5 tbsp relish and whisk it into the reserved water off heat before you toss. The emulsion clings to al dente noodle far better than relish ever did and coats each strand in a glossy sheen.
02
Dijon Mustard
6.71/2 tbsp : 1 tbsp
Tangy, works on hot dogs and burgers
6.7
adjustment for this dish
Dijon mustard contains lecithin from the mustard seed that acts as an emulsifier (relish has none), so use 0.5 tbsp per tbsp and whisk it into the 1/4 cup reserved pasta water at 180 F to build a stable sauce that will not break on the noodle. Its acid is sharper, so add 2 tsp grated cheese to round it.
03
Cranberry Sauce
6.71 tbsp : 1 tbsp
Sweet-tart, chunky texture
6.7
adjustment for this dish
Cranberry sauce is 14 g sugar per tablespoon and will caramelize into the pan if added above 200 F, so use 1:1 but stir it into the pasta after the toss is off the flame and the water has dropped to 180 F. Its pectin also thickens the sauce by roughly 15 percent more than relish, so reserve extra starch water.
show 3 more substitutes
04
Capers
6.71/2 tbsp : 1 tbsp
Chop finely; briny and tangy substitute
6.7
adjustment for this dish
Capers at 1200 mg sodium per tablespoon cling to the noodle as whole bites (vs relish's even distribution), so use 0.5 tbsp per tbsp and salt the boiling water to just 1 percent by weight instead of 1.5 percent to keep the dish off the sodium ceiling. Drain the capers 30 seconds before toss.
05
Chutney
3.31 tbsp : 1 tbsp
Mango or green chutney; sweeter and fruitier
3.3
adjustment for this dish
Chutney brings fruit pulp and pectin that thickens the starch emulsify faster than relish does (relish is mostly water and cucumber), so use 1:1 but reserve an extra 2 tbsp pasta water per serving to thin the sauce back to a coating consistency. Its sugar also softens the al dente bite if tossed too long, so plate inside 45 seconds.
06
Dill
3.31/4 tbsp : 1 tbsp
Fresh dill with splash of vinegar and sugar
3.3
technique for pasta
technique
Pickle Relish in pasta has to cling to a starched noodle surface without seizing the sauce, so you emulsify it into 1/4 cup reserved pasta water per pound of noodle at 180 F off direct heat. Cook the noodle to al dente exactly 2 minutes shy of the box time, around 6 minutes for dried spaghetti, then drain and toss in a wide pan so the starch coats every strand and the substitute can bite through the coat.
Unlike stir-fry where the relish hits 400 F oil in a wok for 60 seconds, pasta keeps the stand-in below a simmer so its acid does not boil off and flatten. 5 tbsp per gallon) so the noodle seasons from the inside, because the substitute itself is already briny and you cannot correct at the toss stage.
Finish with 2 tsp of grated hard cheese per serving to melt into the emulsion and round the acid, then plate within 45 seconds. The sauce breaks and the noodles clump if you linger.
pitfalls to avoid
watch out
Don't drain away all the starch water; reserve 1/2 cup per pound before you drain the noodle, because the emulsion that coats each strand al dente depends on that starch to cling.
watch out
Avoid boiling the substitute directly in the sauce; toss it in off heat at 180 F so its acid does not flash off and leave the pasta tasting flat rather than bright.
watch out
Don't over-salt the boiling water past 1.5 percent by weight; the substitute itself is briny and salting the noodle from the inside plus the substitute stacks sodium past the palate's tolerance.
watch out
Skip grated cheese thicker than 2 tsp per serving if the substitute is acid-heavy; too much fat breaks the emulsify step and the sauce slides off the noodle instead of coating it.
watch out
Reduce rest time, plate within 45 seconds of the toss, because pasta clumps and the bite degrades from al dente to pasty within 90 seconds in a warm bowl.