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Patty Catalano
Patty CatalanoFood Editor
Patty is the Food Editor at The Kitchn, where she develops all of your favorite recipes and writes about her most beloved grocery finds. Previously, she worked as Alton Brown’s Research Coordinator and podcast producer and in the Oxmoor House test kitchen. She loves maple syrup, coffee and board games. Patty lives in Atlanta with her husband and two children.
updated Oct 13, 2022
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This classic macaroni salad is perfect for picnics and potlucks.
Serves6 to 8Prep30 minutesCook8 minutesJump to Recipe
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After months spent indoors, an outdoor picnic sounds more appealing than ever — and the increasingly gorgeous weather doesn’t hurt, either. Find a quiet, socially distant spot to set out a summer spread, and make sure to pack this fresh macaroni salad. It’s an all-in-one side dish made of cool and creamy noodles tossed with punchy quick-pickled veggies, fresh herbs, and gems of sharp cheddar cheese. Here’s how to make the very best one.
3 Tips for the Most Flavorful Macaroni Salad
Here are three ways to avoid the pitfalls of bland macaroni salad and to make one that bursts with flavor.
- Season the pasta water. A flavor-packed pasta salad starts with well-seasoned noodles, so season the pasta water generously before adding the pasta.
- Quick-pickle the veggies. Soaking the vegetables — a vibrant, crunchy mix of bell peppers, red onion, and celery — in a mixture of salt and white wine vinegar adds a sharp tang to the creamy salad.
- Don’t rely strictly on mayonnaise for creaminess. Even good-quality mayonnaise or homemade mayonnaise needs a few sidekicks to make the most flavorful dressing. Here, we’re using mayo, sour cream, Dijon mustard, pepper, and parsley, which mingle with the pickling liquid when you add the dressing to the salad.
How to Prep Macaroni Salad in Advance
Macaroni is guaranteed to soak up dressing as it sits, which adds flavor to the noodles but also makes for a dry pasta salad. If you want to prep ahead, the key is to keep the ingredients separate until you’re ready to serve.
As you cook the noodles, whisk together the creamy dressing. Shock the cooked noodles in an ice bath to cool them off, then toss them with just a few tablespoons of the dressing and refrigerate until ready to serve. The oil from the mayonnaise will prevent the noodles from sticking, but keeping most of the dressing separate ensures the noodles won’t soak it all up. You can also cut the vegetables, herbs, and cheese in advance and store them separately in the fridge.
When it’s time to serve, toss the noodles with the remaining dressing and stir in the veggies, cheese, and herbs.
Serving Macaroni Salad
Like all pasta salads, this macaroni salad is best served at room temperature. Pull the salad out of the fridge about 30 minutes before serving. Remember, this is a mayonnaise-based salad, so don’t leave it out for more than two hours.
Credit: Photo: Ghazalle Badiozamani; Food Styling: Brett Regot
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Here's how to make a classic, flavor-packed macaroni salad.
How To Make Classic, Flavor-Packed Macaroni Salad
This classic macaroni salad is perfect for picnics and potlucks.
Prep time 30 minutes
Cook time 8 minutes
Serves 6 to 8
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1
medium red bell pepper
- 1/2
small red onion
- 2
medium stalks celery
- 2 tablespoons
white wine vinegar
- 1 1/4 teaspoons
kosher salt, divided
- 4 ounces
extra-sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup
fresh parsley leaves
- 8 ounces
dry elbow macaroni
- 1/2 cup
mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup
sour cream
- 1 tablespoon
Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
Equipment
Chef's knife and cutting board
Measuring cups and spoons
Large saucepan
Colander
Mixing bowls
Silicone spatula
Whisk
Instructions
Prep the vegetables. Finely chop 1 medium red bell pepper, 1/2 small red onion (about 1/2 cup), and 2 stalks celery (1/2 cup), and place in a large bowl.
Marinate the vegetables. Add 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon of the kosher salt, toss to combine, and set aside while you cook the macaroni.
Boil the water and prepare the cheese and herbs. Bring a large saucepan over water to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, cut 4 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese into small dice (1 cup). Finely chop 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves.
Cook the pasta. Add 8 ounces dry elbow macaroni and the remaining 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and cook until the pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes or according to package directions. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice and water.
Shock the pasta. Drain the pasta into a colander and rinse under cool running water. Drain again, place the colander with the pasta in it directly into the bowl of ice water, and cool for 3 minutes. Remove the colander from the ice bath and drain well. Transfer the drained pasta to the bowl of marinated vegetables.
Make the dressing. Whisk 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and the parsley together in a small bowl until combined.
Fold the pasta, dressing, and vegetables together. Pour the dressing over the cooled pasta and vegetables. Add the cheese and use a spatula to fold the dressing into the pasta salad.
Season and serve. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
Recipe Notes
Make ahead: The dressing can be made up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated.
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Let sit at room temperature 30 minutes before serving.
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