Years ago a friend went to a cooking class and came back raving about a dish called Mostaccioli Salad.  The word mostaccioli means “little mustaches,” she said, and describes the 2-inch-long macaroni tubes cut on the diagonal.  She gave me the recipe with the warning that it would “feed an army,” making it perfect for a picnic or family gathering.

I’ve made her Mostaccioli Salad many times and included it in the cookbook I wrote in the nineties.  It serves 12, enough to fill a large mixing bowl, but can easily be halved.

It’s best made up ahead of time and refrigerated overnight or longer.  It also holds well for a several days afterwards.

I’ve seen variations on this recipe that call for as much as 1-1/2 cups of sugar!  Thankfully, this recipes requires none and I’ve never noticed the omission.  But, if you must, you can add some sugar to the dressing.  Either way, it’s a classic recipe and a dependable one to have in your arsenal of summer salads.