A depression era staple my mother whipped up for hot summer days. This cool 4 ingredient side dish is cheap, filling, and incredibly refreshing

spread the pasta out in a shallow bowl or on a sheet pan to cool completely.

Cooked macaroni cooling on a sheet pan
Cooked macaroni cooling on a sheet pan

This helps prevent residual heat from thinning the mayonnaise too much.

Prep the celery: While the pasta cools, wash the celery ribs thoroughly, paying attention to any grit near the base. Trim the ends and any fibrous outer strings, then finely dice the celery into small, even pieces.

Smaller dice means you get a pleasant crunch in every bite without overwhelming the soft pasta.

Make the simple