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
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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.
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How long can you keep macaroni salad? Up to 5 days in the fridge.
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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.
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Calories in macaroni salad – 319 kj as a side dish
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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:
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Equal parts mayonnaise and sour cream OR yogurt
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Cider vinegar – essential touch of tang!
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Dijon Mustard – flavour and thickening
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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:
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bacon
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egg
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pickles
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roasted red peppers
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chicken (try my Chicken Pasta Salad recipe)
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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
- Italian Pasta Salad
- Coleslaw
- Potato Salad and Lemon Potato Salad
- Pearl Couscous Salad <– personal fave!
- Wild Rice Salad <– reader fave!
- 12 Minute Sun Dried Tomato Couscous Salad
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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!!!!).
Gillian Didier Serre says
Wow what great news CONGRATULATIONS from Gillian in Toronto Canada and oops not forgetting LUCA TOO.. That DOZER just like Luca sneaking out ..
About salting the pasta water I once read that pasta water had to be heavily.salted so it tasted like Salted Seawater. Love macaroni salad yours.is great👍
Nagi says
Thank you Gillian!!! You’re right, really, any pasta should be cooked in sea-water-salty water!! N xx
Jeanne says
Congratulations on your Morning Show appearance. So excited for you. What an honour (hee, I’ve always wanted to spell it that way). You absolutely deserve it. Your recipes and attention to detail are incredible.
Nagi says
Thank you Jeanne! It really was so exciting!!❤️
Mo says
Amen to THAT! 😀
Greg K says
Great basic recipe that can take a lot of substitutions. Loved the use of
the ridged elbows (chifferi rigati). Not only do they hold the dressing better than plain
but the companies that make them tend to make a better product.
Is your TV debut available on the web? (not likely to find it in the USA Pacific Northwest…)
Nagi says
Hi Greg! Popped a link in yesterday’s recipe 🙂 Glad you like the mac salad!!!! N xx
Carol says
Nagi congratulations on your tv debut, I can’t see the programs from Australia but I’m sure this is the first one of many more to come. Big hug from Litchfield Park, Arizona USA
Nagi says
Thank you Carol! It truly was SO EXCITING!!! N xx
Eha says
Oh Nagi – that debut surely was just a matter of time – glad you have gotten your ‘feet wet’ and let’s slowly go on from here as the opportunities arise! Best of British!!! Methinks most of us like pasta salad and you have managed to put a lot of goodies into yours! Now – NO mayo ever for me: well, very occasionally but it HAS to be freshly home-made!! Have not bought any for over three decades or more . . . Rarely buy sour cream either: yoghurt etc variations on the theme will do just fine!!! And do choose my pasta to be wholemeal from whichever country . . . . nothing ‘white’ in this house . . .
Nagi says
HOMEMADE MAYO!!! SO GOOD!! Thanks for your lovely message Eha, it truly was so exciting! N xx
Eha says
OMG x 100 – after a morning out have just had a reread at this! NAGI !!!!! You were amongst the royalty of Oz media!! Hnnm . . . well, some I may kind;of have known somewhat ‘earlier on’; BUT . . . .oh, how did you land this one >>>
Nagi says
I was a bit speechless!!!!! Star struck!!!
Eva says
Congratulations, Nagi! I’m so excited for you, too! Well-deserved fame and fortune are yours!
But-but-but… more mayo is the answer to EVERYTHING! 🙂
Nagi says
😂 Mayo! Mayo!
Melinda says
Hi Nagi
I so hope you end up with a cooking show, I love your blog and I think Australia would love to see you regularly!
Nagi says
Awww thanks Melinda! Imagine that. A cooking show!!! Wild dreams! N xx
Patricia says
Well done being on tv. I bet that was both thrilling and nerve racking. But I bet it’s a nice team which helps
Ask any nonna and she will tell you to salt the water for pasta well. ( I come from a family with nonnas)
And I call Harry Spike after he’s been out in the rain or had a bath. It’s a great look for a goldie!
Nagi says
Your Nonnas are all right, always!!! 😂 N xx
Coral Rayner says
Congrats Nagi, a TV star at last, you deserve to be out there for all the world to see and try your recipes as they are always so good. I will be trying that Macaroni Salad but using gluten free mayo with the yoghurt to test on my
gluten intolerant family. Thanks again for making our meals so delicious xxxx
Nagi says
Thanks so much for your lovely message Coral! I’m so glad you are enjoying my recipes! N xx
Marlene says
Hi Nagi, I can’t wait to see you TV – well deserved. You should have your own spot on the show once a week. The Macaroni Salad looks wonderful and I have to take a dish to a Christmas Lunch and that will be on the table of a big family get together. I will let you know how it went down. Thanks so much
Nagi says
High praise Marlene! 😂 Oooh, I hope it’s worthy of your Christmas lunch! N xx
Carli Abelseth says
First of all, congrats! That is awesome, I love your cooking. You are our go to gal!
I really want to try this macaroni salad, but I absolutely hate any type of mustard, is there a substitute or so you think I will even taste it?
Thank you!!!
Nagi says
Thank you Carlie! I am sure you won’t taste the mustard, there’s way too much other stuff in this! BUT what you could do is halve it, just to make sure you can’t taste it. 🙂 Compromise? 😜 It’s not for mustard flavour, it’s for the tang and the extra layers of flavour in mustard. N xx
Amanda Marie says
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!
Nagi says
Aww Amanda, such a high praise!!! (PS Our deserted island would be one big PARTY!!!)
Pauline says
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
Nagi says
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
David J. Centner says
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.
Nagi says
Julia Child!!! Goddess, I idolise her always and forever 🙂 N xx
Kristine Lynch says
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. 😊
Nagi says
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
Allyson says
So excited for you! Please post your tv debut so those of us in the States can be a part of the fun!
Nagi says
Thanks Allyson! Shared the link in today’s recipe! N xx 😘
Lisa Daly says
Congratulations on your TV debut! I hope there’ll be tonnes more, for everyone to see your fantastic recipes!
Lisa from Ireland
Nagi says
Thanks so much Lisa! I think there may possibly be more…. 😜 N xx
Sew Kitty says
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.
Nagi says
Oh wow, what an amazing compliment, thank you so much Sew Kitty! N xx
Barb L says
Congratulations, Nagi!!! You look fabulous in the picture! Can’t wait to view the segment.
P.S. The macaroni salad sounds delish.
Nagi says
THANK YOU BARB!! N xx
mimi says
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!!
Nagi says
I. WILL. NEVER. EVER. STOP!!!! 😘