Like most weekends, I tend to make barbecue. The low and slow barbecue. Not the throw things on a grill and take it off within twelve minutes. Whether it is ribs, chicken, pork shoulder, or heck, even sausages, there is always something cooking in my smoke barrel. As much as I love barbecue, I also enjoy many of the sides that go along with the great low and slow flavors of barbecue. My summertime standards are typically corn on the cob, and usually a nice coleslaw to go with it.
Some times you just want something different from those standard side dishes. This is where a classic macaroni salad came into play. I did not necessarily do this for myself, rather, I wanted to surprise my wife with something new, and I think I did just that.
This classic macaroni salad has everything you would expect in flavor and texture. A nice light dressing along with the great crunch from fresh celery, made this macaroni salad go great with the barbecue. So whether you are making chicken, pork, beef, or something in between, skip the bland deli style salads that you would typically pick up from the grocery store and try this one before summer ends. You will be happy you did.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 lb of macaroni pasta, cooked al dente
- 1/2 cup of celery, small dice
- 1/4 cup of red onion, small dice
- 1 small roma tomato, small dice
- 1/2 cup of light mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp Italian leaf parsley, chopped
Begin by boiling your pasta in salted water. While the pasta is boiling, prepare your ingredients, chopping all of the vegetables. When the vegetables have been chopped, make the dressing.
Combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, pepper, mustard, sugar, and sour cream to a small mixing bowl. Do just that, mix well until you have a nice and thin dressing.
When the pasta is done cooking, drain, and rinse with cold water to cool the pasta. Drain well.
To a large mixing bowl, add the pasta, chopped veggies, and top with half of the dressing. I say half because depending on the pasta, you want to make sure the sauce stays nice and light, not too much sauce. Mix to incorporate everything until you have the desired about of consistency with the dressing.
Taste. Adjust any salt and pepper to your liking. When you are ready to serve, transfer the macaroni salad to a serving bowl and garnish with fresh parsley. Serve cold, or at room temperature. Enjoy.