Perfect Creamy Macaroni Pasta Salad (2024)

How to make the best creamy pasta saladwith our easy creamy dressing and crisp, colorful vegetables. We love this easy macaroni salad recipe!

Perfect Creamy Macaroni Pasta Salad (1)

I love this creamy pasta salad (also called macaroni salad). The dressing is so simple and delicious. I keep the sugar level low for this salad and only use a slight drizzle of honey or maple syrup in my creamy dressing, but you can increase this for a sweeter salad.

We love pasta salads around here and have a few. For a vinaigrette-based dressing, see this no mayo pasta salad or this orzo pasta salad with a lemon vinaigrette.

Perfect Creamy Macaroni Pasta Salad (2)

Key Ingredients

  • Elbow macaroni:To make this a macaroni salad, use elbow macaroni or substitute itwith any small pasta shape (small shells and spiral shapes work nicely). After cooking the pasta, rinse it before tossing it with the dressing. Rinsing removes extra starch, which makes the dressing sticky.
  • Veggies:I love some fresh crunch in my pasta salads. So, I add finely chopped onion, bell pepper, celery, and radish. Before you add the onion, allow it to soak in cold water for a few minutes, which tones down the raw flavor.
  • Pickles:I use dill pickles in this pasta salad, but you can use a sweet pickle instead. Here are our recipes for dill pickles and bread and butter pickles.
  • Creamy dressing:My favorite creamy pasta salad dressing combines sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard, apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, and a touch of honey or maple syrup. It’s easy to make and tastes incredible.

How to Make Macaroni Salad

When it comes to making a cold, creamy pasta salad, keep these tips in mind:

When you cook the pasta, undercook it slightly.I follow the package directions and set my timer for a minute or two before it should be done. Then,I rinse the pasta under cold water before tossingit withthe salad dressing. Ifyou’ve ever madepastasalad that turned sticky, not rinsing the pasta before tossingit withthe dressing could be the reason.

For the dressing of our macaroni salad, I love using a slightly adapted version of thispotato salad dressing(it gets rave reviews). Instead ofonly using mayonnaise, which can make the salad heavy, wecombine the mayonnaise with sour cream. Since the sour cream is tangy, it lifts the flavors of the dressing, just as fresh lemon juice would to other dishes.

Perfect Creamy Macaroni Pasta Salad (3)

I make my dressing in the bottom of a big bowl, then add the cooked (and rinsed) macaroni and the veggies. I give it a really good toss and then taste for seasoning. You might find that it need a bit more salt. Then, I store the salad in my fridge until ready to serve!

Perfect Creamy Macaroni Pasta Salad (4)

What to Serve with Creamy Pasta Salad

We often serve this salad during the summer. I love it withturkey burgers, grilled chicken, and grilled salmon. It’s perfect withpulled pork and thesehoisin stickyribs.

Potato salad is also excellent when served next to other sides, such as ourcreamy potato salad, watermelon feta salad,easy bean salad, and creamy cucumber salad.

Perfect Creamy Macaroni Pasta Salad (5)

Perfect Creamy Macaroni Pasta Salad

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The key to the best creamy pasta salad is to rinse the cooked pasta under cold water before tossing it with the dressing. Skipping this step means the dressing will be sticky. We also “de-flame” the onion, which tames the raw onion flavor so that it does not take over the salad. A quick bath in cold water does the trick. Use elbow macaroni for macaroni salad or other small pasta shapes (like small shells or ditalini).

Makes about 6 servings

Watch Us Make the Recipe

You Will Need

For the Salad

8 ounces (226g) dry elbow macaroni or small pasta shape

1/4 medium red onion, finely chopped, about 1/4 cup

1 medium bell pepper, seeds removed and chopped

2 celery stalks, finely chopped, about 1/3 cup

3 radishes, trimmed and finely chopped, about 1/3 cup

1 to 2 medium dill pickles, finely chopped, optional

For the Dressing

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup mayonnaise, try our homemade mayonnaise

1 ½ tablespoons yellow mustard, substitute Dijon or whole grain mustard

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1 to 2 tablespoons honey, optional for sweet version

Directions

    1Cook macaroni according to the package directions. Drain and rinse well under cold water to remove starch from the outside of the pasta.

    2Meanwhile, add the chopped onions to a small bowl and cover with cold water. Set aside for 5 minutes and then drain. This tones down the raw flavor of the onion so that it won’t overpower the salad.

    3Make the dressing in the bottom of a large salad bowl. Whisk the sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper.

    4For a sweeter macaroni salad, add honey or maple syrup to taste. I typically add half a tablespoon, but try one to two tablespoons if you enjoy sweeter macaroni salads.

    5Add the rinsed macaroni, drained onions, bell pepper, celery, radish, and the pickle to the bowl with the dressing. Mix well. Taste, then adjust with additional salt and pepper.

Adam and Joanne's Tips

  • Storing: Store your creamy pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • Make-ahead: Creamy macaroni pasta salad improves on the second day, so this is a perfect make-ahead recipe! However, I do not recommend freezing it (the dressing does not freeze and thaw well).
  • Mayo substitution: You can substitute the mayonnaise for low-fat mayo and some or all of the sour cream called for in the recipe with yogurt. The yogurt will make the dressing a bit tangy, but it will still taste great.
  • Dairy and egg free creamy pasta salad: Use vegan mayonnaise (here’s our homemade recipe) and a dairy-free sour cream.
  • The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.

Nutrition Per Serving Serving Size 1/6 of the recipe / Calories 252 / Total Fat 10.4g / Saturated Fat 2.9g / Cholesterol 10.6g / Sodium 317.2mg / Carbohydrate 32.2g / Dietary Fiber 2.1g / Total Sugars 2.4g / Protein 6.9g

AUTHOR: Adam and Joanne Gallagher

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Perfect Creamy Macaroni Pasta Salad (2024)

FAQs

Why isn't my macaroni salad creamy? ›

The key to keeping macaroni salad from drying out is the pasta. If you don't cook it enough, the pasta won't grab on to the dressing and will dry out. If you overcook the pasta, it will be completely soggy and gross. Cook the pasta just right, and your macaroni salad will stay perfectly creamy.

Should you rinse macaroni when making macaroni salad? ›

Elbow macaroni: To make this a macaroni salad, use elbow macaroni or substitute it with any small pasta shape (small shells and spiral shapes work nicely). After cooking the pasta, rinse it before tossing it with the dressing. Rinsing removes extra starch, which makes the dressing sticky.

How do you keep macaroni salad from absorbing mayonnaise? ›

How do I keep macaroni from absorbing mayonnaise? Very simple! Chill! Chilling your macaroni and other ingredients before mixing your salad together will help slow the absorption of mayonnaise.

Why does pasta salad taste better the next day? ›

The best part about pasta salad is it is best to make it in advance! Let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, 24 hours is recommended. Letting it rest in the fridge allows the flavors to marry together.

How do you make macaroni creamy again? ›

The #1 secret to creamy reheated mac and cheese

"Stir in about 2 Tbs. of milk per 1 cup of mac and cheese and reheat," he says. The milk loosens up the pasta and helps create the creamy sauce as it's reheating. Heavy cream works well in this case too and adds an extra touch of richness to the mac and cheese.

Should I let pasta cool before adding mayo? ›

While oil-based dressings can be applied even to hot pasta, make sure to let the pasta cool to a warm temperature before mixing in a mayo-based one. Mayonnaise is susceptible to separating, but it can be warmed as long as it's not overheated.

Should you run pasta under cold water for pasta salad? ›

Rinsing in cold water brings the temperature of the pasta down, which you don't want when eating it hot, but is OK in this instance since the pasta will be served cold. It also keeps the pasta loose for the salad. When left unrinsed, the starchy coating can make the pasta gummy and clump together.

Why does my macaroni salad taste bland? ›

Making sure the water is salty enough ensures the macaroni is seasoned through (even after rinsing in cold water) and the salad will not be bland. 2. The noodles weren't sufficiently drained. Let the macaroni drain completely in a colander to ensure the sauce isn't diluted with water.

What's the difference between pasta salad and macaroni salad? ›

Pasta salad and macaroni salads are very similar as they often can contain many of the same ingredients. The main difference between the two is in the way they are dressed. Macaroni salad is usually dressed with mayonnaise, while pasta salad is usually dressed with vinaigrette.

Why add vinegar to pasta salad? ›

Vinegar helps to balance sweet flavors inside the salad; however, a vinegar dressing that's too sharp can leave a lingering bitter or acidic taste throughout the pasta noodles.

What does apple cider vinegar do to pasta? ›

Don't skip the apple cider vinegar!

Tossing the hot, drained noodles with this ingredient allows them to really soak up that tangy flavor. For extra zip, you can add some to the dressing as well.

What does adding vinegar to pasta water do? ›

If you think you have alkaline water, here's a quick fix: Add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar to 4 quarts of pasta water. This will help prevent your pasta from sticking without affecting its flavor. ACIDIC SOLUTION: Add vinegar or lemon juice to prevent pasta from sticking in alkaline water.

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