Macaroni Pasta Salad

Bowl of macaroni salad with tongs, highlighting creamy dressing coating pasta and crunchy vegetables.

5 from 4 votes

Creamy, tangy, and full of fresh crunch, this classic macaroni pasta salad is the perfect make-ahead side dish for BBQs, picnics, potlucks, and holiday meals. Ready in under 30 minutes with simple, budget-friendly ingredients, it’s a foolproof recipe that always gets rave reviews and disappears fast.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time1

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 297kcal

Author: Shauna

Ingredients

Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt plus additional for boiling the pasta according to package
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Macaroni Salad

12 ounces elbow macaroni noodles about ¾ of a 16-ounce box
½ cup red bell pepper diced ½ inch (from ½ large pepper)
½ cup celery sliced ¼ inch thick (from 1-2 large stalks)
⅓ cup red onion diced ¼ inch (from ½ medium onion)
¼ cup carrot finely shredded (from 1 large carrot)
1 large hard-boiled egg finely chopped

Instructions

Whisk together the mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, granulated sugar, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper until smooth in a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside while preparing the macaroni salad ingredients.
To a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the elbow macaroni noodles for 9-11 minutes or just until al dente. Drain then rinse with cold water to stop the cooking of the noodles.
To a large mixing bowl add the rinsed elbow macaroni noodles, red bell pepper, celery, red onion, carrot and hard-boiled egg.
Pour the dressing into the bowl and gently toss to combine all the ingredients and evenly coat with the dressing. You can reserve ¼ cup of the dressing to stir in after refrigeration if needed to restore creaminess to the macaroni salad before serving.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend and the salad to chill slightly before serving.
When ready to serve, stir in any reserved dressing (if needed) prior to transferring to a serving bowl.

Video

Notes

The dressing can be made up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated in a covered container prior to use in the recipe for easy preparation.
White vinegar can be substituted for the apple cider vinegar in the dressing. If making this substitute, you may want to add an additional 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar to balance the flavors.
You can purchase hard boiled eggs from your local deli or make them up to 3 days in advance of using them in this recipe.
The hard-boiled egg can be omitted or doubled based on personal preference, especially if you’re serving someone who prefers it egg-free.

Nutrition