With summer approaching, I’m gearing up to be inundated with higher temps and non-stop activities with the kids. With all the constant activity and mild chaos, I often have to sacrifice time spent in the kitchen. As a result, I often find myself often turning to pasta salads as an easy lunch, a simple side for dinner, or a dish everybody can love at a get-together. I’ve always been accustomed to pastas that were so ‘hearty’ that they could be an easy stand alone meal; however, this is truly a ‘macaroni’ salad, and I’m pretty sure it single-handedly converted me. I’m always a bit surprised when something so simple tastes this delicious. This simple and easy recipe features radiatore pasta (but you could also use rotini), chilled overnight in an easy mayonnaise-based sauce, but with a surprisingly sweet side that everybody will love. This is guaranteed to be a family favorite and a crowd-pleaser. Whatever function or meal you’re planning on using this for, you can’t go wrong.
Aunt Gert’s Macaroni Salad
- 1 lb radiatore pasta, cooked, drained, and cooled
- 2 cups mayonnaise
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup cold water
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 2 tsp garlic, minced
- Garnish (optional): chopped hard-boiled egg, and/or chopped parsley
Directions
- In a large bowl, combine mayo, onion, celery, sugar, water, vinegar, and garlic. Stir until evenly combined.
- Add pasta, stirring until evenly coated.
- Refrigerate covered pasta overnight. Note that the pasta WILL be very soupy at first, but as it chills it will thicken and get creamy. Just re-stir to evenly coat.
- Garnish, if desired, and serve.
4 Sons 'R' Us 