While I make a variety of different potato salads, pasta salads never really appealed to me. However, I do sometimes get a hankering for good old Macaroni Salad, & this is the one I always whip up:
Breezy Macaroni Salad
(Unless otherwise specified, all amounts are "to personal taste".)
1 box of Elbow Macaroni
Mayonnaise
Approx. 1 to 1-1/2 cups frozen peas
Chopped sweet onion (like Vidalia, etc.)
Chopped red bell pepper
Chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
Sharp cheddar cheese cut into small cubes (the regular supermarket block type - nothing fancy)
Sweet or Dill pickle relish
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Cook pasta according to package directions, adding in the frozen peas during the last 2-3 minutes of cooking time. Drain & set aside to cool, then gently but thoroughly combine with other ingredients, tasting as you go along to amend amounts if necessary.
If I have a block of turkey ham on hand, I'll sometimes dice some of that up & add it as well; & leftovers are fantastic with a can or two of tuna folded in.
