This is one of my Grandma A’s recipes that I have enjoyed for as long as I can remember. There quite often was a huge bowl of this salad in the middle of her table for summer meals and we could not get enough of it. This was my grandpa’s favorite salad and it is my dad’s favorite too. Every time we make potato salad my dad is sad because it is not this macaroni salad! This is a great salad to prepare in advance because it keeps so well. I like having a batch of this in the fridge because everyone loves it and it goes well with so many summer meals.

The ingredients in this salad provide a great blend of tastes and textures. The olives are salty, the celery gives a nice crunch and freshness and the eggs are rich. Combine that with the tang of a little lemon juice, the chew of the pasta and the creaminess of the mayonnaise and this is a great combination of flavors. I hope this salad will become a summertime favorite in your house too!

Instructions:

Macaroni Salad

• 1 pound ditalini or elbows pasta, cooked al dente and chilled
• 5 hardboiled eggs, chilled and then chopped
• 4-5 stalks celery (about 12 ounces), diced
• 8 ounces (drained weight) manzanilla olives with pimento
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• Salt to taste

Cut each olive into 3 pieces. In a large bowl, combine the pasta, eggs, celery and olives and mix well. Add the lemon juice, mayonnaise and black pepper and mix well again. Add salt to taste (I added 4 teaspoons salt) and add some more mayonnaise if you want the salad to be extra rich and creamy (I like the salad best with just a ½ cup of mayonnaise). Chill and enjoy. This makes about 16- 1 cup servings.