Island Inspired Macaroni Salad

Every once in a while I really get a craving for Hawaiian style, plate lunch macaroni salad. I think the utter simplicity of the salad is what is so appealing, basically elbow pasta with mayonnaise and a little sweet vinegar, maybe a few shreds of carrots, celery and onions, that it. Well a little salt and pepper too.

Well in this recipe I deviate a little, but not too much. First off, I use medium shells instead of elbow macaroni, and I also included fresh English peas, cause I love peas. Other than that, it basically Island inspired macaroni salad. I let the pasta go a little longer than usual, so it is definitley not al dente. Turns out the Hawaiians knew a little trick, the pasta is slightly over cooked so it is soft and pliable, but more importantly, it's more absorbent, soaking up all the liquid.

The tangy, slightly sweet salad is light and not too filling. I used low fat products to try to keep it somewhat healthy, 1% lowfat milk and a lite mayonnaise for the liquid mixture. I used white granulated sugar, but you could use your preferred sweetner or agave. To avoid curdling the milk, I added about three tablespoons of rice wine vinegar directly to the pasta after I rinsed and drained.

There's not a lot to it, but the taste is wonderful and a treat with local island favorites like BBQ terriyaki meats. In the islands, typical plate lunches come with a scoop of macaroni salad with two scoops of white rice along with the main course, sometimes served on a bed of shredded cabbage.

Ingredients

• 1 Box Medium Shells
• 1 Good size carrot diced
• 1 Stalk celery diced 1/2 Onion diced 1/2 cup green peas
• 3 Tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar
• 1/3 Cup lite mayonnaise
• 1/2 Cup Lowfat milk (optional)
• 3 Tablespoons sugar (substitute sweetner of your choice)

Directions

Cook the pasta (Shells) as directed on the box. I let the pasta go just a minute or two longer. Drain and run cold water over the pasta to prevent further cooking, let stand while you combine the wet ingredients. If you're using fresh peas like I did, blanch them now while the pasta is cooking.

Wisk together the sugar, mayonnaise, and milk until smooth and incorporated. Place the pasta in a large mixing bowl and add the rice wine vinegar. Mix the pasta well with the vinegar and then add your chopped vegetables. Finally add the wet ingredients and fold the pasta until all the ingredients are uniformly coated. Let cool in refrigerator for at least an hour before serving. Add chopped parsely, green onions or chives for garnish.

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