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Easy Macaroni Salad

This Easy Macaroni Salad is a cold side dish made with pasta and colorful vegetables like red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and red onion. It is mixed with a light, creamy sauce of mayonnaise, mustard, and seasoning. This simple pasta salad goes with any meal.

Macaroni Salad is the perfect side dish for pool parties, barbecues and picnics. Because you serve it cold, you can make it ahead of time.

This colorful pasta salad is one of my favorites and I know you will love it too. Many summer macaroni salad recipes are heavy on the sauce, but this one really lets the veggies shine through.

Easy Macaroni Salad Recipe

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Easy Macaroni Salad Ingredients

To make this cold side dish recipe, you will need the following ingredients (go to the recipe below for exact quantities and instructions):

Macaroni Salad Ingredients

How to Make the Best Macaroni Salad

  1. Cook the pasta. Cook macaroni to al dente texture according to package directions, drain and rinse.  Transfer to large bowl, let cool. You can put the bowl in the refrigerator if you want the noodles to cool more quickly.
  2. Prepare the veggies. While macaroni cooks and cools, chop red onion, bell peppers, parsley and dice carrot.
  3. Mix with sauces. Add red onion, bell peppers, parsley, carrot, mayonnaise, mustard and salt and pepper to macaroni. Mix well and refrigerate until cool.
  4. Serve and enjoy! Serve cold or at room temperature.
Cold Macaroni Noodle Salad

How to Cooke the Perfect Al Dente Noodles

Al dente means that a noodle is firm to the bite. I like to scoop a few noodles out of the pasta water with a spoon and run under cool water in the sink, then bite into the middle of the noodle. If it is still white inside, it is not done cooking. You want to cook the noodles just until the white disappears.

This summer macaroni salad recipe calls for al dente noodles so that they keep their shape when you mix with the other ingredients.

Macaroni Side Dish Recipe

Pasta Salad Variations

You really can’t go wrong with any version of pasta salad. Here are some things you might want to try:

  • Horseradish: add just a teaspoon for a little added bite
  • Salami: add some chopped pieces of thick salami 
  • Bacon bits

Other Summer Side Dish Recipes

Homemade Coleslaw

Watermelon Salad

BLT Pasta Salad

Green Pea Salad

Easy Macaroni Salad

Easy Macaroni Salad

Yield: 8 Servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Easy Macaroni Salad is the perfect side dish for summer. Because you serve it cold, you can make it ahead of time.

Ingredients

  • 16 oz Elbow Macaroni
  • ½ Red Onion
  • 1 Green Bell Pepper
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper
  • ¼ C fresh Parsley
  • 1 Carrot
  • ¾ C Mayonnaise
  • 1 T Spicy Dijon Mustard
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Cook macaroni to al dente texture according to package directions, drain and rinse. Transfer to large bowl, let cool.
  2. While macaroni cooks and cools, chop red onion, bell peppers, parsley and dice carrot.
  3. Add red onion, bell peppers, parsley, carrot, mayonnaise, mustard and salt and pepper to macaroni. Mix well, refrigerate until cool.
  4. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 245Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 225mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 4g

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