Old Fashioned Macaroni Salad
As classic as it gets, this easy cold macaroni salad is a must for summer days, potlucks and barbecues. The key is not to overcook the pasta and to find a good balance of crunchy, creamy and tangy.
Servings 6 servings
Ingredients
- 3 cups elbow macaroni cooked and drained
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ½ cup diced red bell pepper
- ½ cup chopped onion I like yellow or red onion, but white onion also works
- ½ cup diced celery
For the salad dressing:
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 to 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon mustard Dijon or brown
- ⅓ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon chopped sweet pickles optional
Instructions
- Cook 3 cups macaroni according to the package instructions in abundant salted water until al dente. Drain, toss lightly with 1 tablespoon oil and let cool completely. You can also rinse the elbows under cold water to stop the cooking. I find that it strips them of some of its flavor, so I let them cool down on their own.
- In a large bowl, stir together the cold pasta, ½ cup chopped bell peppers, ½ cup onion and ½ cup chopped celery.
- To make the creamy dressing, mix all the dressing ingredients (2 tablespoons sour cream, ½ cup mayonnaise, 1 to 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon Dijon or brown mustard, ⅓ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, and 1 tablespoon sugar) in a small or medium bowl until smooth.
- Add half of it to the bowl with the pasta.
- Mix everything thoroughly and add more until you have the desired consistency. Taste the pasta salad and adjust the seasonings to your liking.
- Place the salad in the serving bowl or platter, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for half an hour to an hour.
- Stir the salad again before serving it cold.
Notes
Make ahead: this salad recipe benefits from being assembled and refrigerated a few hours before serving. This will meld the flavors and make it more flavorful.
Serving pasta salad: it's best to keep it in the fridge until serving time.