Macaroni Salad w/ Pesto-mayonnaise

      Finally that delicious pesto-mayo I had in a sub on campus has a home! I decided to make macaroni salad as a side dish for a sandwich i was making for lunch (see in later post), but I wanted to switch it up a little bit since the sandwich I was making is one of my own unique creations. Thinking of ways to put my own spin on a traditional mac salad, it came to me: WHY NOT USE THAT PESTO-MAYO YOU HAD ON CAMPUS THE OTHER DAY!?!? (when ideas come to me in my head they are usually in the "eureka I friggin' got it" category, hence the caps)
     
What you'll need: (yields 6 servings)                                   

The Pesto-mayo elevates ordinary mac salad

• 3 cups macaroni pasta
• 1 stalk celery, quartered & minced
• 3 Tbsp shredded carrot, minced
• 3 Tbsp both red/green bell peppers, minced
• 1 1/4 cup light mayonnaise 
• 2 Tbsp pesto
• salt/pepper to taste

      Begin by boiling a pot of hot water with a pinch of salt. While the water boils, start mincing the celery, shredded carrot, red and green bell peppers. Place the vegetables in a large serving dish and set aside. Once the water comes to a boil, add the macaroni and stir. Cook the pasta for 8-10 mins, stirring occasionally.
      In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and pesto and refrigerate until ready. When the pasta is done, strain and rinse with cold water until the macaroni is no longer warm. Transfer the macaroni to the serving bowl containing the minced vegetables. Add the pesto-mayo and mix until all the ingredients are incorporated. Keeps up to 3-5 days.