Classic Macaroni Salad

This is the macaroni salad you know from childhood: sweet and zippy, creamy and comforting. Use a good quality whole-wheat macaroni, and nobody will even know it's in there, but along with all the veggies, it'll tip this old standby towards wholesomeness. A couple of finely chopped hard-boiled eggs is a welcome addition, as long as nobody in your family is averse to them.

Total time: 20 minutes
Yield: Serves 8-10

1 pound whole-wheat elbow macaroni, boiled until tender in heavily salted water, drained, rinsed in cold water, and drained again
1 1/2 cups coarsely grated carrots (about 2 large)
1 cup diced celery (about 2 stalks)
1 fat scallion, sliced in half lengthwise and slivered
1 cup Hellman's or Best Foods mayonnaise
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon hotdog relish
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
3 teaspoons kosher salt (or half as much table salt)
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

1. Combine the pasta and vegetables in a large bowl.
2. Whisk together the mayo, vinegar, sugar, relish, mustard, salt, and pepper, pour this over the salad, add the parsley, and stir together gently. The salad is good like this -- but it's even better if it gets a chance to sit in the fridge, covered, for an hour or two.

See all recipes from Catherine Newman's "Dalai Mama Dishes" blog.