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side shot of pasta salad in a bowl with a serving spoon
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5 from 1 vote

Classic Macaroni Salad Recipe

Macaroni Salad is a creamy, cheesy pasta salad. Learn how to make classic vegetable macaroni salad in a few simple steps.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4
Calories: 786kcal
Author: Hina Gujral

Equipment

  • Salad Mixing Bowl

Ingredients

Ingredients For Salad:

  • 400 gram elbow macaroni
  • 1 Cup fine chopped red onion
  • 1 Cup fine chopped red bell pepper
  • 1 Cup fine chopped yellow bell pepper
  • 1 Cup fine chopped cucumber
  • 1 Cup green peas, boiled or steamed (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 Cup fine chopped capsicum
  • ¼ Cup fine chopped parsley or basil
  • Salt to taste

Ingredients For Dressing:

  • 1 Cup plain mayonnaise 
  • 1 Cup grated parmesan cheese
  • ¼ Cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar or wine vinegar
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed or grated
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Prep Work For Salad:

  • Cook macaroni according to package directions in the salted water. Once cooked al-dente, transfer to a strainer, rinse with cold water and set aside to cool down completely.
  • Chop all the vegetables, herbs and transfer to a salad mixing bowl.

Prepare Dressing:

  • Whisk mayo, cheese, garlic, oregano and vinegar in a bowl until combined nicely.
  • Add the olive oil and whisk the dressing once again to mix nicely. Taste and season with salt and pepper accordingly.

Assemble Salad:

  • Combine vegetables, herbs and boiled pasta in a salad bowl. Toss gently.
  • Pour prepared dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat pasta with the dressing.
  • Taste and add more salt/pepper if required. Keep the salad in the fridge until ready to serve.
  • Serve vegetable macaroni salad chilled.

Video

Notes

  • The dressing should be of pouring consistency. Hence, if required add more olive oil to get the liquid consistency.
  • Do not combine vegetables with warm macaroni. The vegetables will get steamed and lose their crunch. 
  • The salad dressing can be prepared in advance and stored in the fridge for 2 - 3 days. 
  • Let the salad chill in the refrigerator for 1 - 2 hours before serving. Mix gently once again before serving. 
  • If the macaroni salad is stored in the fridge in an airtight container, it can last for 3 - 5 days.
    Avoid adding salt before refrigeration so that vegetables don't release their juices and the salad remains fresh.
    At room temperature, salad packed with cheese and mayonnaise spoil very fast. It is best to consume it within 2 hours.
    You can use the leftover boiled macaroni pasta to make my Indian-style masala macaroni stir fry pasta or the classic minestrone soup.

Nutrition

Calories: 786kcal | Carbohydrates: 93g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 814mg | Potassium: 631mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1983IU | Vitamin C: 155mg | Calcium: 342mg | Iron: 3mg