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BBQ Macaroni Salad




Source of Recipe


internet

Most recipes for barbecue-flavored macaroni salad drown the pasta in ketchupy barbecue sauce, creating a salad that is much too sweet and sticky. Here's what we discovered about how to produce a well-balanced smoky and spicy side dish.

Test Kitchen Discoveries


A combination of mayonnaise and barbecue sauce is more effective than barbecue sauce alone, as the tang of the barbecue sauce is balanced by the neutral creaminess of the mayonnaise.
This salad works best with a sweet, smoky-flavored barbecue sauce.
If the salad sits and becomes dry, adding a little warm water will make it creamy again.

BBQ Macaroni Salad
Serves 8 to 10

We like the sweet, smoky flavor of Texas Best or Bull's-Eye barbecue sauce here, but feel free to substitute your favorite. As the salad sits, it can become dry; just before serving, stir in a few tablespoons of warm water to bring back its creamy texture.

Table salt
1 pound elbow macaroni
1 red bell pepper , seeded and chopped fine
1 rib celery , chopped fine
4 scallions , sliced thin
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup barbecue sauce (see note above)
Ground black pepper

1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and macaroni and cook until nearly tender, about 5 minutes. Drain in colander and rinse with cold water until cool, then drain once more, briefly, so that pasta is still moist; transfer to large bowl.

2. Stir in bell pepper, celery, scallions, vinegar, hot sauce, chili powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper, and let sit until flavors are absorbed, about 2 minutes. Stir in mayonnaise and barbecue sauce and let sit until salad is no longer watery, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve. (The salad can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Check seasonings before serving.)