This Creamy, Classic Macaroni Salad is the perfect dish for summer BBQs, potlucks, and picnics! This old-fashioned recipe is upgraded with a few key tips and tricks, turning the creamy mayo into a light and flavorful dressing.
I LOVE pasta salad. I only have a handful of pasta salad recipes here on the blog, which is a crime. This summer I plan to up my pasta content because there are SO many things you can do with them. Back in 2015 I made this vegan pasta salad recipe that was so good, I would come home from work during my lunch break just so I could make it. Of course, it would’ve been much easier if I had just made it ahead of time. But planning ahead wasn’t my strong suit during that period of my life :)
This recipe, on the other hand, is my spin on Classic Macaroni Salad. It’s a very nostalgic recipe, one that I’m sure most people can recall from childhood picnics, BBQs, and potlucks. Growing up, I remember seeing it on the table at summer parties, but I never went for it. Why? Because it was almost always swimming in a vat of mayo, which was completely unappealing. I like mayo as much as the next person, but I do NOT want to eat something that’s 2:1 salad to mayo!
Enter this Classic Macaroni Salad – but better! It’s got plenty of mayo to make sure all the noodles are covered, but it takes the backseat so the macaroni can shine. The mayo dressing also has a few flavor-packed ingredients to amp up the taste, like mustard and Worcestershire sauce (my secret ingredient). Instead of being clumpy, the dressing is smooth and creamy. It’s almost like a thick mayo vinaigrette.
The last key trick for making this macaroni salad extra delicious is adding in the dressing in stages. When you first assemble the salad, you only add 2/3 of the dressing, then let that absorb. Then, when you serve, you add in the remaining 1/3 dressing. This allows the dressing to be “expressed” in two ways – first, absorbed into the noodles themselves; and second, on the top layer of everything, so that you get the flavor immediately.
I hope you enjoy this macaroni salad as much as I do! Cheers!
Classic Macaroni Salad FAQs
What are the ingredients of macaroni salad?
A classic macaroni salad is usually made with macaroni pasta, carrots, onions, celery, occasionally other vegetables like bell peppers, and dressed in a creamy mayo sauce. In this recipe, I’ve amped up the flavor by adding Worcestershire sauce to the dressing, and carefully created a ratio so that the salad isn’t drowning in mayo.
How to cook macaroni for macaroni salad?
Unlike with traditional pasta dishes, you always want to cook your pasta slightly past al dente so that it doesn’t dry up. However, you don’t want you pasta to be too mushy either. The key is cooking it until it’s just softened, then draining and rinsing with cold water to stop the cooking process.
Should you rinse your pasta for macaroni salad?
Yes! Not only does this stop the cooking process, but it prevents the pasta from sticking too much. This is the opposite of what you do when you make traditional pasta dishes, such as penna alla vodka. When pasta is cooked, starch is released into the water, giving it a little bit of a glue-like consistency. You want to have starch on your pasta when adding a sauce, like marinara or vodka sauce, so it’ll stick to the pasta. But in a pasta salad, you aren’t looking for that glue effect.
Should you let pasta cool before making pasta salad?
Ideally, you want the pasta to be lukewarm when making it. You’ll rinse off the pasta in cold water to stop the cooking process, but keeping the macaroni slightly warm will help the dressing absorb into it.
Best way to season classic macaroni salad?
You want to be sure to always cook your pasta in salted water, which imbues flavor into the macaroni. Another trick I like to do to boost flavor is add a bit of seasoned salt to the pot of boiling water. When your pasta cooks, it’ll absorb the salt in the pasta water. Then, when you make the dressing, more flavor is added through the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, and spices.
Is this macaroni salad traditional?
It’s almost entirely traditional, but with a few twists! I created this recipe with specific goals in mind. I’d always hate going to a cookout and seeing a pasta salad that was pretty much half mayo. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good mayo dressing, but the macaroni itself should be the star! I’ve also added a few non-traditional ingredients to the sauce to keep things interesting. But the core of the recipe is rooted in the traditional method.
Classic Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
The Dressing
- 1 1/4 Cups Mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp White Wine Vinegar
- 2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 1 Tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 Tsp Sugar
- 1/2 Tsp Hot Sauce of Choice optional
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
- Black Pepper to taste
The Salad
- 12 oz Macaroni
- 1/3 Cup Red Onion diced
- 1/2 Cup Celery diced
- 1/3 Cup Matchstick Carrots
Instructions
- Start by prepping your vegetables – dice the onion and celery, and set them aside with the matchstick carrots.
- In a pot of salted water, cook your macaroni according to the box's instructions. Towards the end of the cooking time, taste the pasta to gauge the texture. You want the pasta to be softer than al dente, but not mushy. The pasta should be slightly chewy but not as firm as al dente.
- When done, drain the pasta, and quickly rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process. The pasta should still be slightly warm after one quick rinse.
- Add the drained pasta to a large bowl.
- While the pasta is cooking, make the dressing by adding all ingredients into a mixing bowl, and whisking together until smooth and creamy. Taste, and adjust seasonings to your liking.
- Pour about TWO-THIRDS of the dressing into the bowl with the pasta, and add in the vegetables. Stir well until everything is evenly coated. Reserve the remaining third of the dressing.
- Cover the pasta, then set in the fridge until ready to serve. Give the pasta salad at least 30-45 minutes to rest before serving, to give the sauce time to absorb.
- Right before serving, mix in the remaining third of the dressing.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- To make this recipe vegan, use vegan Worcestershire sauce and vegan mayo!
- Feel free to add in / sub any diced vegetables you like… just make sure you keep it about 1 to 1 1/4 cups of vegetables.
- This pasta salad will keep in the fridge, covered, for about 4-5 days.
P.S.
For more plant-forward recipes and New England lifestyle inspiration, be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok! If you make a recipe, please tag me in the photo and use the hashtag #wellandfull so I can see! I love seeing your creations!
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