Macaroni Salad
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This macaroni salad is a fresh spin on the old-school classic. A few simple upgrades to the creamy dressing dial up the flavor, while a generous mix of crisp veggies adds color and crunch. It’s bright, refreshing, and just the thing for warm-weather cookouts or picnics.
Macaroni salad is a must-have side dish at summer picnics, BBQs, and potlucks—right alongside coleslaw and a classic potato salad. This one has all the appeal of the old-school version, but with a few updates to make it even better: an extra-creamy dressing and plenty of crisp vegetables for freshness and crunch.
The secret to the perfect creamy texture is thinning the dressing with a bit of water so it coats the pasta without getting too clingy. Keep in mind that the dressing thickens and is absorbed by the noodles as the salad sits, so while you can prep all the components ahead, it’s best to toss everything together right before serving. This macaroni salad recipe pairs nicely with steakhouse burgers, hot dogs, fried chicken, baby back ribs, grilled chicken or BBQ chicken.
“This is my go to macaroni salad…I make it with different veggies each time depending what I have and it’s always good.”
What You’ll Need To Make Macaroni Salad
- Pasta: Select elbow macaroni, cavatappi, cellantani, farfalle, or fusilli pasta. These are ideal for pasta salad because their ridges, twists, and curves hold onto the creamy dressing and other ingredients, ensuring every bite is flavorful. Their small, bite-sized pieces also make them easy to eat.
- Mayonnaise & Sour Cream: Form the base of the creamy dressing. Be sure to use a good-quality brand, such as Hellmann’s or Duke’s.
- Sugar: Balances out the tanginess with a touch of sweetness.
- Dijon mustard: Provides a subtle tang and depth of flavor.
- Apple cider vinegar: Adds acidity and brightness to the dressing.
- Onion powder: Lends a mild onion flavor without overwhelming the dish.
- Carrots, Celery, And Red Bell Peppers: These veggies add color, sweetness, and crunch.
- Scallions: Lend a mild onion flavor and slight crunch.
- Fresh basil: Adds fresh, herby flavor that brightens up the salad.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Boil the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until tender according to package directions, about 1 minute past al dente. While it boils, prep the veggies. When it’s finished cooking, drain the pasta and let it cool to room temperature.
Pro tip: You can be generous with the salt. Salting the water seasons the pasta from within, which adds flavor to the salad.
Step 2: Make the dressing. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, mustard, vinegar, water, salt, pepper, and onion powder until smooth. Whisking the dressing separately ensures it’s completely smooth and evenly seasoned before it coats the pasta and vegetables.
Step 3: Put it all together. Add the cooked pasta, carrots, celery, bell pepper, scallions, and basil to the dressing in the bowl.
Step 4: Mix and serve. Stir the components until evenly combined. Serve the macaroni salad immediately or let sit for up to an hour at room temperature. The dressing will thicken a bit as it sits.
Pro tip: If you’d like to get a head start, the dressing can be made up to 3 days ahead, and the pasta, veggies, and basil can all be prepped a day in advance. Just be sure to store each component separately.
More Salads You’ll Love
Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
- 16 oz macaroni, cavatappi, farfalle, or fusilli pasta
- 1 cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's or Duke's
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3½ tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- 1¼ teaspoons salt, plus more for cooking the pasta
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ cup finely diced or grated carrots, from 1 to 2 carrots
- ¾ cup finely diced celery, from 2 to 3 celery stalks
- 1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, finely diced
- 6 scallions, light and dark green parts, finely sliced
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until tender (about 1 minute past al dente). Drain and let cool to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, mustard, vinegar, water, salt, pepper, and onion powder.
- Add the cooked pasta, carrots, celery, bell pepper, scallions, and basil to the bowl and stir until evenly combined. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve the salad immediately or let it sit for up to an hour at room temperature before serving. (Keep in mind that the dressing will thicken and get absorbed by the noodles as the salad sits.)
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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16 oz of pasta is 1 lb for anyone else who had to search 🙂 Great traditional pasta salad, but I needed to add a bit more vinegar and dijon–needed a bit of zip for my palate.
Good day, Jenn!
I plan on making this pasta salad with left over already cooked pasta.
I’m wondering roughly how many cups of cooked pasta does this recipe make from the 16oz of dry pasta, so that I can adjust the amounts of everything else for the dressing and salad!
Thanks in advance, Jenn!
You are always my “go-to” for recipes and ideas 😉!
To my family and friends, I refer to you as “my friend Jenn from Once Upon a Chef”!!
(I apologize if this has been asked before, I looked back in comments and didn’t see any similar question)
Cheers,
Mary Paul in BC, Canada 🍁
Hi Mary, thanks for your kind words – so glad you like the recipes! I’m happy to be referred to as your friend Jenn from Once Upon a Chef! 😊 A 16-ounce box of dried macaroni should yield about 8 cups of cooked pasta.
Thanks for your prompt response, Jenn! Now I can head to the kitchen & prep this salad for dinner later 😊
Like the concept of adding the fresh veggies to a macaroni salad. Adds a great crunch. Dressing is a bit too sweet for me. I used 3 TBS of sugar. I would cut it back even further next time and increase the dijon.
Can I add small diced onions, instead of onion powder?
Sure!
Hi Jennifer, I’m looking forward to making your macaroni salad recipe this weekend for a small party to watch the Masters tournament. Do you think I could add chopped hard boiled eggs to the mixture? My mom always added eggs to her Mac salad, but I love everything else about your recipe. Thanks
Sure, enjoy!