1-First, cook the 3 cups of uncooked elbow macaroni in salted water following the package directions until it’s just right. Once it’s done, drain it and rinse with cold water right away to stop the cooking and wash off extra starch.

2-In another bowl, whisk together the 1 cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon yellow mustard, 3 tablespoons white vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 2 teaspoons white granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon onion powder until it’s smooth and creamy.

3-Add the finely diced red onion, celery, and green bell pepper to the dressing mixture. Give it a good stir to make sure everything’s coated evenly.

4-In a large bowl, toss half of the dressing with the cooled pasta until it’s well coated, then cover it up and pop it in the fridge for at least 2 hours. This lets the flavors get to know each other.

5-Before serving, mix in the rest of the dressing and toss again. Taste it and add a bit more salt or pepper if it needs a little extra kick.