Here in Hawaii macaroni salad is a staple found in almost every “plate lunch” in town (the classic noon time island meal). Most versions are very simple: elbow macaroni cooked quite soft (never al dente) mixed with lots of mayonnaise, seasoned with salt and a bit of pepper and occasionally with thin shreds of carrot or minced onion. That’s it. I like to include green peas, chopped eggs and a little minced parsley to give the salad a refreshing taste and some color.
Macaroni Salad
Serves 6 as a side dish
Ingredients
3 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
mayonnaise (Best Foods or Hellmans)
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons minced carrot
2 tablespoons finely chopped celery
2 teaspoons finely minced onion
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup green peas
3 boiled eggs, finely chopped
Preparation
Boil the pasta until fully cooked. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water. Drain again and spread pasta on paper towels to absorb excess water. Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Remove pasta from refrigerator and mix in mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper.
Stir in carrot, celery, onion and parsley. Fold in green peas and chopped eggs. Check seasoning adding more salt and pepper to taste before serving.
