Macaroni Salad makes a terrific summertime lunch and is made for taking to gatherings. Simple to prepare and as diverse as you want it to be, this is a great classic pasta salad.
With a pasta salad dressing made with a combination of mayonnaise and yoghurt, it’s still beautifully creamy with all the flavour and less guilt! For a healthier option, try this Macaroni pasta salad with a mayo-free Creamy Lemon Dressing or Ranch Dressing!
Macaroni Salad in a bite
- What is Macaroni Salad made of? Cooked macaroni, shredded carrot, green onions, red peppers/capsicum and celery tossed in a dressing made with mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, sugar and garlic powder.
- How long can you keep macaroni salad? Up to 5 days in the fridge.
- Do you serve macaroni salad hot or cold? It’s best served at room temperature or ever so slightly chilled. But not cold, straight out of the fridge.
- Calories in macaroni salad – 319 kj as a side dish
- Can you freeze macaroni salad? Yes, because it’s mostly pasta. Thaw naturally (do not microwave thaw) and toss well before serving.
Macaroni Pasta Salad
It’s difficult to imagine a summer with Macaroni Salad. Like Coleslaw, it’s a summertime staple. The pasta salad you keep in your fridge for a quick side for meals and to put in your lunchbox.
While it’s tempting to take the easy route and pick up a tub from the deli, too often they are overly mayo-heavy, too sweet, too sour, or dripping with watery dressing.
So skip store bought and make your own – it’s so simple and tastes so much better!
Lighter, flavour packed Dressing for Pasta Salad
I like to have a lot of dressing because it makes pasta salads moist and juicy. But using just mayo is too oily. So I always lighten up mayo dressings with either sour cream or yoghurt, then add a nice amount of seasoning so no one would even notice that it’s got less fat in it!
Here’s what goes in my creamy pasta salad dressing:
Equal parts mayonnaise and sour cream OR yogurt
Cider vinegar – essential touch of tang!
Dijon Mustard – flavour and thickening
Seasonings – Sugar, garlic powder, salt and pepper
Regular readers know how much I love my sauces and that extends to salad dressings. No pasta salad recipe of mine will ever be lacking in Dressing!
And that’s why this Macaroni Salad stays nice and moist – because there’s plenty of dressing!
Wondering if Macaroni Salad is good or bad for you?
While you get some nutrition from the vegetables the reality is that Macaroni salad is heavy on carbs from the pasta and fat in the dressing. For a healthier option, try this with a mayo-free Creamy Lemon Dressing or Ranch Dressing!
Macaroni Salad Add-in options
I’ve kept this recipe classic. So as much as I was tempted, I resisted all my favourite add-in possibilities including:
bacon
egg
pickles
roasted red peppers
chicken (try my Chicken Pasta Salad recipe)
olives
Make a great summer meal for your family and friends by serving this pasta salad on the side of BBQ Pulled Pork, BBQ Beef Brisket, some BBQ Pork Ribs or Sticky Country-style Chicken! – Nagi x
MORE SUMMER SALADS to take to gatherings
Pearl Couscous Salad <– personal fave!
Wild Rice Salad <– reader fave!
Browse all Pasta Salads and Rice Salad
Macaroni Pasta Salad
Watch how to make it
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Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
- 250 g / 1/2 lb macaroni elbow pasta
- 1 1/2 tbsp salt (to cook pasta)
- 1 cup celery , finely sliced (1 stalk)
- 3/4 cup red capsicum / bell peppers , finely diced (1 small)
- 3/4 cup green onions , finely sliced (1 large stem)
- 1 medium carrot , grated (using standard box grater)
Dressing:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise (Hellmann's, Best Foods, S&W or other whole egg mayonnaise)
- 1/2 cup yoghurt or sour cream , full or low fat
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp sugar
- 3/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Bring large pot of water to the boil – 4 to 5 litres / quarts. Add salt then add pasta. Cook per packet directions.
- Drain pasta then cool.
- Meanwhile, mix Dressing ingredients in a bowl.
- Place pasta in a bowl. Add remaining Macaroni Salad ingredients. Pour over Dressing.
- Toss. Adjust salt / sugar / sour (vinegar) / mayo to taste.
- Set aside for at least 20 minutes. Then serve at room temperature (not cold). It’s great the next day too!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
When I leave Dozer indoors when I’m out all day and it’s been raining (damn that dog door!!!!).
Can’t wait to see the post with a link. I tell everyone that you’re the food blogger I would choose as my ONE luxury on a desert island!
Aww Amanda, such a high praise!!! (PS Our deserted island would be one big PARTY!!!)
Congratulations Nagi on your television debut. Just the first of many to come I am sure. Look forward to seeing and hearing about it. Re the salad. Am not keen on mayonnaise so is there a substitute or do I have to use just a little bit?
Pauline
Thanks Pauline!! I added a note in the recipe for a non mayo dressing 🙂 I have a friend who absolutely does not eat mayo! N xx
Nagi, I am happy for you, and I hope the segment leads to good things. I live in Boston, about a mile from the studios of WGBH, where in the early days of Public Television Julia Child, who has recently published her first book, was asked to demonstrate an omelette on TV. The response led to her becoming America’s foremost teacher of fine cooking and it paved the way for so many who look to her for inspiration.
And this macaroni salad recipe looks excellent. I plan to use it on Thursday.
Julia Child!!! Goddess, I idolise her always and forever 🙂 N xx
That’s great Nagi, congratulations, can’t wait to see the segment as I am without TV at the moment and tried to watch it on Tenplay but that was just hopeless kept getting stuck on ads lol look forward to seeing you as a star which you already are. 😊
Hi Kristine!! I didn’t try Tenplay, wasn’t it the full 3 hours show??? I dropped a link to the video in today;s recipe. Thanks for the lovely message! N xx
So excited for you! Please post your tv debut so those of us in the States can be a part of the fun!
Thanks Allyson! Shared the link in today’s recipe! N xx 😘
Congratulations on your TV debut! I hope there’ll be tonnes more, for everyone to see your fantastic recipes!
Lisa from Ireland
Thanks so much Lisa! I think there may possibly be more…. 😜 N xx
Like so many of the previous wrote, Australian TV is only just recognizing what we all have known since we first read one of your posts. Your recipes are scrumptious, you have easy to follow instructions, and we get updates with pics on Dozer. In short, your blog is as close to perfect as we could want.
Oh wow, what an amazing compliment, thank you so much Sew Kitty! N xx
Congratulations, Nagi!!! You look fabulous in the picture! Can’t wait to view the segment.
P.S. The macaroni salad sounds delish.
THANK YOU BARB!! N xx
You can’t hide a shining light for long! We’ve always known you were a phenomenal chef, and now the rest of the world will know it too! You look darn right gorgeous! Don’t forget us, your blog family, and please keep posting for us!!
I. WILL. NEVER. EVER. STOP!!!! 😘
Just to any hello. I live in Scotland and am absolutely loving your blog and your recipes.
Thank you so much for sharing them I love every one of them
Catherine
I’m so pleased you like my recipes Catherine!! Thank you for your message, I love hearing from readers! N xx
.. I read this recipe, and I agree with not drowning the pasta in mayo, ….I also use a combination of mayo and either Unflavored Greek yogurt, or sour cream. Or both ! Lol. However, without the sweet pickles, it’s not same, and it needs a bit of that sweet pickle juice to really get the flavor. ACV works, but not quite the same. I suppose I am bussed, the reecipe I use is what my late Grandmother taught me. Oh, it’s got red sweet peppers and scallions, and a tiny bit of carrot….and the chopped sweet baby gherkins. . But I don’t like a lot of things in it , and the one thing she also did was add radishes , on top ( sliced thin ) for garnish. Delish. 🙂
I love hearing the way you make this! 🙂 Especially because it’s the way your grandmother taught you! N xx
Wow, congratulations Nagi, a star is born, except all your loyal followers knew that already !!
Would love to be able to watch it.
Awww you’re sweet Tricia! I’m far from a TV star though, just had a teeny little segment! 😂
Congratulations on your television debut, Nagi! You look absolutely beautiful!!
THANK YOU MARISSA!! N xx
I am excited that you got to do some cooking on TV. In my mind that’s a special honor. My husband makes the best macaroni salad I’ve ever had, with totally simple ingredients: macaroni, celery, onion, hard boiled eggs, and lots of mayonnaise (we do use light mayo these days). Part of the reason for lots of mayo is that it keeps the salad moist. When he makes the salad he adds some mayo, lets it sit overnight, and then adds more as needed. I will share with him about adding salt to the water. It will be interesting to see what a difference that makes.
Thanks Susan, it certainly WAS exciting!! I agree that it tastes even better the next day 🙂 I like that the veggies soften overnight. I do like adding eggs too! N xx (PS And bacon…. 😂)
Congratulations on your TV appearance. Love your recipes and videos.
Thank you Norma!! N xx
OMG I missed it!! And I’m in the country!!! Can’t wait to see it !! 😀😀😀
😂 N xx
can we use Miracle Whip instead of mayo
I’m not sure, sorry Steven, we don’t have that here! N xx
So very proud of you Nagi – congratulations! I’d love to see you on TV regularly. Your dishes are rock stars at every dinner table. a
THANKS ANKA!!! N xx ❤️
Very happy for you on the TV show, & you looked great, Nagi!
Thank you so much Arlene!!! I actually REALLY enjoyed it, wasn’t nervous at all – weirdly! 😂 N xx
Congratulations Nagi!!! Please do share the segment on line! I am so excited for you and can’t wait to see it! The macaroni salad sounds delicious. I will be trying it, possibly this weekend.
Dropped the link in today’s recipe!!! Thank you for the lovely message Cheryl, it WAS exciting!! N xx