An Easy Macaroni Salad Recipe

Pasta salads have been around for a very long time, in both hot and cold variations dressed with oil and vinegar, mayonnaise, or cream sauces and include vegetables, herbs and spices. Today, we generally regard pasta salads as being dressed with an oil vinegar combination as pasta salad and mayonnaise or cream sauces as macaroni salad.

Macaroni Salad, Smoked Brisket, Coleslaw, And Sweet Rolls

Generally, I’m not a big fan of pasta salad or macaroni salad. They’re ok but they just don’t have that “wow” factor.   However, this macaroni salad has a great flavor that really captures that “wow” factor. It is hands down my favorite macaroni salad and it is simple and easy to prepare.

Ingredients for my easy macaroni salad recipe: onion, celery, olives, dill pickle and fresh dill.

Penne pasta for macaroni salad, rinsed and chilled.

Add the onion, celery, dill pickle, olives, and the fresh dill. Add the mayonnaise and the mustard on top. Stir gently with a wooden spoon until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed and the pasta is evenly coated.

An Easy Macaroni Salad Recipe That Is Absolutely Delicious

• Yield: 8 servings
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound box pasta, macaroni or penne, see notes
• 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
• 3 stalks celery, trimmed and diced
• 1 medium to large dill pickle diced, or 1/4 cup dill pickle relish 
• 1 can chopped black olives, 4-1/2 oz or 120 grams
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
• 1 cup aioli, or mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• Kosher salt to taste
• Cracked pepper to taste

Method

1. Bring 4 to 6 quarts water to a boil in a large pot. Add salt, stir and return to a full boil.
2. Add the pasta, stir and return to a boil.
3. Cook 7 to 12 minutes, until al dente.
4. Drain the pasta through a colander and immediately rinse with cold water.
5. Once the pasta is cold add the onion, celery, dill pickle, or relish, olives, and the dill.
6. Add the mayonnaise and the mustard. Stir gently with a wooden spoon until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed and the pasta is evenly coated.
7. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

1. If you have spent any time at all on my website you know I advocate making pretty much everything from scratch. Dry pasta is one of the exceptions, provided you buy really good dried pasta. 
2. To make really good dry pasta you need a pasta extruder with a brass die. Brass leaves a rough texture to the pasta that allows the sauce to stick. 
3. Many of the dried pastas you find in stores are formed on machines using a teflon die. Teflon leaves a smooth surface. As a result sauce doesn’t stick to the pasta.
4. Regarding pasta shapes for macaroni salad almost anything goes. I usually consider my sauce and ingredients and buy a pasta shape that makes sense. In other words the shape will collect and hold the ingredients.
5. Regarding aioli verses mayonnaise, I have made this recipe, in the past, using store bought mayonnaise and it is very good. It's just far better with homemade mayonnaise or aioli.

Tags: easy macaroni salad recipe, macaroni salad recipes, cold macaroni salad, pasta salad recipe