Simple Macaroni Salad Recipe
This Simple Macaroni Salad Recipe is filled with all the classic ingredients, tossed in a creamy sauce and perfect for summer potlucks and parties!
This Simple Macaroni Salad Recipe is filled with all the classic ingredients, tossed in a creamy sauce and perfect for summer potlucks and parties!
- Carbohydrate 35.0329928654793 g
- Cholesterol 5.09600000430791 mg
- Fat 7.20993130732 g
- Fiber 1.63270814583758 g
- Protein 5.51730479591863 g
- Saturated Fat 1.07593514233644 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (80g)
- Sodium 1056.83630402622 mg
- Sugar 33.4002847196417 g
- Trans Fat 0.495097049079065 g
- Calories 228 calories
Step-by-step
- Cook the noodles according to package instructions, then drain and rinse with cool water. I like to add a few ice cubes to the noodles while running cool water over them to help cool the noodles faster. Drain and add pasta to a large bowl.
- Add in the diced celery, red onion, red bell pepper, peas and cheese.
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl until smooth and creamy.
- Pour the dressing into the large bowl and stir to coat evenly. Keep the salad covered and refrigerated until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Unlike a warm baked pasta casserole bound in bechamel, chilled macaroni salad relies on the physics of starches cooling down and drinking up dressings rather than melting fat under heat. Early American iterations of pasta salads evolved from nineteenth-century cold vegetable medleys tossed in mayonnaise or oil and vinegar dressings. When industrial food production made dried tubular pasta widely available, home cooks adopted elbow macaroni as the standard vehicle for picnic side dishes. Managing starch behavior is critical for success when preparing this dish. Cook the pound of elbow macaroni until it reaches al dente texture, typically indicated by a slight resistance at the center when bitten, then shock the pasta thoroughly with cool water to halt residual cooking. Adding ice cubes directly to the rinsing water drops the temperature instantly, preventing the starches from swelling past their ideal capacity. Rinsing also washes away excess surface starch that otherwise causes the mayonnaise-based dressing to clump rather than coat smoothly. Utilizing sweet pickle relish and distilled vinegar provides the necessary acetic acid to cut through the heavy fat content of the one cup of mayonnaise. Raw aromatics like diced red onion, celery, and red bell pepper contribute crucial crunch that contrasts with the soft pasta grains. Sharp cheddar cheese supplies a distinct lactic tang, though substituting mild cheddar at a one-to-one ratio yields a creamier, less assertive flavor profile. Fresh vegetables deliver brighter crunch and higher water content than preserved or pickled alternatives, which alters how the dressing clings to the noodles over time. Chill the finished mixture in a sealed container for at least two hours before serving to allow the sugar, mustard, and black pepper to fully penetrate the porous noodle interiors.
