Macaroni – A Powerful Force
I have said it before and I’ll say it again – “Nothing Brings Folks Together Like a Slaw”. And in all my years, I have never seen it be proven untrue. Now it seem out of place to say such a thing on a post about Macaroni Salad, but with slaw being such a powerful force (“Nothing Brings Folks Together Like a Slaw” is like a culinary commandment of sorts) I don’t want folks to underestimate the power of noodles slathered gently in mayonnaise and decorated with crunchy bits of vegetable. All of that, wrapped up with a dash of red wine vinegar and salt and pepper makes something powerful. In truth, I like my Macaroni Salad with a little extra creamy so avocado is a shoe in, but I stop short of letting it get too sloppy. In terms of noodles, I love an elbow, but I also like to mix it up. You might be surprised what a great addition a bow tie or a radiatore noodle can make.
- 1 pound farfalle Pasta
- 1/4 cup cucumber, diced small (I leave the skin on for extra crunch)
- 1/4 cup orange pepper, diced small.
- 1/4 cup sweet onion (like Vidalia), diced small.
- 1 avocado, peeled, seed removed and diced small
- 3/4 cup mayonaise
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- dash of sugar
- Salt and pepper
- Cook the farfalle pasta per the directions on the package. Drain and rinse the pasta in cold water to rinse off extra starch. Cool completely.
- Prepare the vegetables and combine them in a large bowl.
- Add vinegar and a dash of sugar to the mayonnaise and mix well. Add the mayonnaise mixture to the vegetables and mix well.
- Add the cooked pasta and mix until the pasta is slathered nicely.
- Salt and pepper to taste. Add a dash more vinegar or sugar if needed.
- For a vegan or vegetarian option use an appropriate mayo substitute.
Bring It To The Next Level
This is a simple macaroni salad. We shouldn’t forget to mention the tangy goodness that little cubes of pickle can bring to the party or the pop that chopped pepperoncini peppers would add. Blue Cheese Crumbles? – Now you are talking! Goat Cheese bits? Mmm! Smokey Bacon? Hallelujah! Greek Yogurt instead of Mayo? Amen! Herbs of many varieties? You bet! Fried Onions? Gently, but yes! Fresh Sweet Corn? Ooh, Yes! Pea shoots? Of course! Salty, oily Olives? No doubt! Sun dried tomatoes? Yep! Some smoked jalapeno? Oh my goodness, yes!
Macaroni Salad and a Double Dog with Ketchup, Pickle, Pepperoncini, Mustard and Fried Onions!
Give it a try and behold the power of Macaroni Salad! And yes, the slaw post is coming…
Keep Eating! Keep Innovating!
Have you witnessed the power of Macaroni Salad? Bear witness in the comments or on Facebook.
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