Noodling: Mac Salad Recipe Quandry

Nervy Girl, you are as picky as my youngest son!! Ha ha, just kidding - here is a recipe I found on line, that he just loves. I thought it sounded OK when I first read it, but I had the ingredients on hand and just went for it. It is now a family favorite. I do NOT use all the ingredients called for, because my son hates raw veggies in his noodles. So, here's the full recipe.

Italian Confetti Pasta Salad

1 Cup Mayo
1 T red wine vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1-1/2 T chopped fresh basil
2 cups colored rotini pasta
1 C chopped tomatoes
1/2 C yellow bell pepper
1/2 C sliced black olives

Cook pasta to al dente, rinse and cool. In mixing bowl, whisk together mayo, vinegar, salt, pepper and garlic. Mix in basil. Add pasta and all other ingredients and fold in until mixed.

I did not use peppers or olives, and I used a can of diced petite tomatoes, drained and rinsed it and put a whole can in. I served immediately at dinner, since it is more creamy if you eat it then. I did not use fresh basil, I used dry. And I used minced garlic out of a jar. It tastes fabulous but just tweak it to what you want in it. Hope you like it!

ETA: I forgot you don't want garlic. Sorry. I'm sure it will be fine without it too!

I would do pasta in a medium size (shells, spirals, penne) and add the following:

Broccoli (cooked and cooled)
Tomatoes
Cucumber chunks (remove skin)
Olives
Carrots (blanched is great)
(normally I'd add red onions, too but forget that)

You can add any veggies - try some small blanched zucchini cubes or cut up string beans. blanched pepper, asparagus would be awesome.

Then if you can, use Ken's Cesar Dressing great, if not use oil and red wine vinegar to taste (toss in some red pepper flakes if you dare) and YUM!!!!

For those who can eat meat - add some tuna. Or if you want, serve as a side with chicken or steak. For leftover lunch, add the tuna then, if desired.

Okay, what I like to do is, in my Mac salad, (of which I do not follow a recipe it is my own manner of things), I like to put in, a dollop of Horseradish. The kind you buy in a squeeze bottle. This is the one I like, by Heinz:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0025UACS8

Or, I like to put in a dollop of Wasabi.

Adding these things to it, tastes real good.

I also put grated onions in mine, but I realize you cannot have that in yours.

And sure, just put in all those ingredients you want.
Except I would not put in vinegar, unless you want more of a "pasta salad" type tasting dish. And, by nature, Mac Salad is more of a mayonnaise type based dish.
So decide if you want a "Mac" salad... or a pasta, salad.
Both are very different.
At least in Hawaii, Mac Salad is Mac Salad. Not "pasta" salad.
;) But you know that.

Can I suggest you approach this differently? instead of aiming for mac salad, the kind you'd get offered along with potato salad at a bbq, aim for cold pasta primavera.

rotini, ziti, or any short pasta.
your choice of cooked veg including spinach, broccoli, zuchini, tomato, basil, artichoke, asparagus, olives.
toss together with salt, pepper, balsamic, and some almonds, pine nuts, or sesame seed fro crunch.

I'm thinking you can't do pesto because it contains parm. And that's a milk product. I'm still thinking of leaning it Itilian.
It's the mayo that's off putting. I'd lean more oil and (red if you have it) vinegar with dried oregano and basil and black pepper.
The olives, sundried tomatoes and roasted red peppers.
Nuts, if you have them. Artichoke hearts in from a jar.
That's all I got!