Mama Mia's Macaroni Salad

We're having our July 4th celebration tomorrow and needed a pasta salad recipe to go with the rest of the meal.  I remembered this one from a recent episode of Diner's, Drive-Ins & Dives and its visit to this place in Louisiana called The Shed.  Here's the actual recipe: Mama Mia's Macaroni Salad, and the run-down also if you don't want to click over to the other site.

• 2 cups uncooked shell pasta
• 1 cup mayo (used about 3/4)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/8 cup cider vinegar
• 1/8 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 bell pepper
• 1/2 red onion
• 1/4 cup shredded cheese

Cook the pasta according to the instructions, drain, and set it aside to cool to room temperature.  Mix together in a bowl all of the ingredients except for the bell pepper, onion, and cheese.  Mix the sauce with the pasta.  Add in the chopped bell pepper, onion, and cheddar cheese.  Refrigerate until cold.  Serves 4.

I don't know how close this is to the actual restaurant recipe, nor have I tasted the actual dish, but it sounded good all the same.  There are three substitutions in my version: edamame (soy) beans instead of peas (not a fan of frozen peas; plus, soy beans have a lot of protein), mayo made from olive oil (more of a preference than substitution), and Greek yogurt instead of sour cream (less fat and fewer calories). So far, the flavors are a bit on the tart side, so maybe they will mellow out after some refrigeration.

Update 7/4/2011
The flavors did rounded out the next day and the dish was a hit.  I prefer mine with a sprinkle of smoked paprika.  Enjoy!