Macaroni Salad
A creamy mayo-based pasta salad with celery, onion, hard-boiled egg, and pickles. American picnic classic. Best made hours ahead so the flavors meld. The trick is slightly undercooking the pasta and adding the dressing while pasta is still warm.
Prep Time
21 min
Cook Time
38 min
Servings
4
Calories
471 cal
🛠 Interactive Recipe Tools — Use them right here on this page
Smart Servings Scaler
- Macaroni1
- Mayo3 tbsp
- Olive Oil2 tbsp
- Garlic3 cloves
- Parmesan Cheese½ cup
- Basil1
- Black Pepper½ tsp
- Salt1 tsp
All quantities scaled automatically from 4 servings.
Ingredients
Makes 4 servings · Use the Servings Scaler above to adjust
- Macaroni1
- Mayo3 tbsp
- Olive Oil2 tbsp
- Garlic3 cloves
- Parmesan Cheese0.5 cup
- Basil1
- Black Pepper0.5 tsp
- Salt1 tsp
Instructions
- 1
Cook 1 lb of elbow macaroni in salted water for 1 minute less than the package time. Drain and rinse briefly with cold water to stop cooking.
- 2
While the pasta is still warm, transfer to a large bowl. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and toss to coat — prevents sticking.
- 3
Make the dressing: whisk 1 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons yellow mustard, 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon paprika.
- 4
Add the dressing to the warm pasta and toss. Warm pasta absorbs the dressing better than cold.
- 5
Add 3 finely chopped celery stalks, ½ cup of finely diced red onion, 2 chopped hard-boiled eggs, ¼ cup of chopped fresh parsley. Toss gently.
- 6
Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, ideally 4-8 hours. The flavors meld and the pasta absorbs the dressing during this rest. Taste before serving and adjust salt or vinegar if needed. Best served chilled.
Watch how to make Macaroni Salad
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💡 Expert Tips
- 1.Slightly undercook the pasta. It continues absorbing dressing as it sits. Fully cooked pasta gets mushy.
- 2.Add dressing to warm pasta. Better absorption than cold pasta. The pasta soaks up the flavors.
- 3.Sweet relish + apple cider vinegar. The combination is what gives macaroni salad its classic sweet-tangy flavor.
- 4.Rest 2+ hours. Salad just-made tastes flat. The flavors marry over time.
🔬 Why It Works
Classic macaroni salad balances creamy (mayo), tangy (vinegar, pickles, mustard), sweet (sugar, relish), and crunchy (celery, onion). The warm-pasta-dressing technique ensures the pasta absorbs flavor rather than just being coated. The rest period is essential — pasta continues absorbing dressing and the flavors meld into the unified salad. Hard-boiled egg adds richness and protein.
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4.7
507 home cooks rated this
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (recipe makes 4 servings)
* Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Values are estimates.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (recipe makes 4 servings)
* Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Values are estimates.
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