mac salad is perfect for your father's day bbq!! {this is the easiest pasta salad ever!}

 

this salad has been around forever.. pete's mom made it for every outdoor bbq  we used to have.. then when the nieces, nephews, my kids starting arriving i started making it and it's now what aunt robin is famous for among the younger folk in the family.. it all started with my nephew zak, who is now 27 and in harvard law school {so we consider him a pretty smart feller}... when he was about 5 i made it for a family gathering.. zak the next day told his mom he really liked it.. so she made it for him and he said it's not like aunt robin's yours is wrong.. so she called me and i told her the recipe and she said that's exactly how i made it.. zak then stated he only liked my mac salad {which actually started out as granny's but the kids didn't care} so after zak all the kids pretty much declared it the best and i was to bring it to and have it all family events.. which was fine with me because when i tell you the recipe you will laugh.. it's got 5 ingredients and 2 of those are salt and pepper.. ha ha.. it's soooooooo easy.. but actually really good.. i again will have it at our father's day bbq on saturday.. might i suggest you do too you will please your family.. :)

gullo mac salad

prep time: 10 minutes
cooking time: 20 minutes
servings: 10

ingredients:

2 cups elbow {or any kind you like i sometimes use spiral, mini shells, ziti, etc.} macaroni, cooked, rinsed, and drained
2 cups cooked, peeled and cleaned salad/bay shrimp {sometimes i can't find the little shrimp so i use regular shrimp and cut them in 1/2 or in 1/3's}
1/2 cup mayonnaise {start out with 1/2 up if to dry add a little more}
salt and pepper to taste

directions:

cook pasta according to directions, while it's cooking  rinse your shrimp well ..cut the larger shrimp in half or in thirds with your kitchen shears if needed.. add to a large mixing bowl.. drain macaroni and rinse with cold water until pasta is no longer hot then add to mixing bowl {you must do this part or your mayo gets all runny and it's really rather unappealing}.. salt and pepper..(i pepper generously) add mayonnaise and mix well.. refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving.. right before ready to serve check the consistency you might have to add a tad more mayo.. but you be the judge..

variations:

add 1/2 cup defrosted peas
in place of the shrimp add 1 can of drained rinsed tuna
add a few chopped scallions {green and white part}
add garlic salt
add the juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon
add 2-3 celery stalks, diced

i am not allowed to change the recipe by adding anything he he it then isn't the mac salad the kids remember growing up.. but that's okay sometimes traditions aren't meant to be changed or messed with..

enjoy and get cook'n!!