This Macaroni Salad recipe is the perfect side dish for get togethers. This is made with such simple ingredients and comes together in a snap!
Pasta salads are my favorite thing to make for gatherings. They are so easy to make and the possibilities are endless. In this macaroni salad, we are combining pasta, veggies, and a really simple dressing. This is an ideal recipe to bring to a party, picnic, or BBQ. You can find all of my pasta salad recipes here: Pasta Salad.
Macaroni Salad Ingredients
- Elbow macaroni: Elbow macaroni is the classic pasta shape for macaroni salad. Its small, curved shape holds the creamy dressing well, ensuring each bite is full of flavor.
- Veggies: Celery, red bell pepper, green onions, and frozen peas all come together perfectly with the pasta and the dressing.
- Dressing: This simple creamy dressing is made with yogurt, mayonnaise, red wine vinegar, yellow mustard, a little sugar, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
How to Make Macaroni Salad
This recipe is as simple as cooking your pasta, dicing your veggies, and mixing up the dressing. I like to use the time it takes for the pasta water to come to a roaring boil and for the pasta to cook to dice my vegetables and make the dressing.
Tips and Tricks
- Switch up the pasta. Although you really need macaroni to make a macaroni salad, you can of course use any short cut pasta (like baby shells or ditali).
- Change the veggies. I love the crunch and flavor that each of these ingredients brings, but you can swap them out for others. Just do your best to dice them small so they match the size of the macaroni.
- Skip Greek yogurt. While it has some health benefits, it also has a really thick consistency that doesn’t work well in pasta salad.
- Cook your pasta at a full boil. Make sure to bring to your water to a full roaring boil before you add the pasta. You can find all my tips on cooking pasta here: How to Cook Pasta.
Making Ahead and Storing Macaroni Salad
This homemade macaroni salad can be prepared up to 48 hours in advance. Whether you are making it ahead or storing leftovers, be sure to keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Give it a good stir before serving. If this salad sits out for more than two hours, toss it. This isn’t a dish you want to eat after it has been at room temperature or in the heat for a few hours for food safety purposes.
If you try this recipe for macaroni salad or any of my other recipes, let me know what you think by leaving a comment below!
Macaroni Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni (453.6 grams)
- 3 stalks celery diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 3 green onions sliced thin, about two inches into the green
- 1 cup frozen peas (170 grams)
For Dressing
- 1 1/2 cups plain low-fat yogurt see note (375 grams)
- 1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise (60 grams)
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard (not ground mustard)
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (if using regular salt, start with half)
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water. While the pasta is cooking, dice the vegetables and prepare the sauce.1 pound elbow macaroni
- In a small bowl whisk together the yogurt, mayo, yellow mustard, vinegar, sugar, salt, garlic, and black pepper. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings as desired.1 1/2 cups plain low-fat yogurt, 1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon yellow mustard, 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- In a very large bowl, mix the cooked pasta, frozen peas, red peppers, green onions, and celery.3 stalks celery, 1 red bell pepper, 3 green onions, 1 cup frozen peas, 1 pound elbow macaroni
- Pour the dressing over the pasta and veggies and stir to combine. Serve right away, or refrigerate and serve within 48 hours.
Recipe Video
Notes
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