Description
Creamy classic Sweet Macaroni Salad delights palates with its perfect blend of tangy and sweet flavors. Filipino-inspired side dish promises refreshing comfort for summer gatherings and picnic tables.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (200 g / 7 oz) elbow macaroni, uncooked
- ½ cup (75 g / 2.6 oz) shredded carrots
- ½ cup (75 g / 2.6 oz) diced red bell pepper
- ½ cup (75 g / 2.6 oz) diced celery
- ¼ cup (40 g / 1.4 oz) diced red onion
- ⅓ cup (50 g / 1.8 oz) raisins
- 1 cup (240 g / 8.5 oz) mayonnaise
- ¼ cup (50 g / 1.8 oz) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Pasta Preparation: Boil macaroni in salted water until perfectly al dente, following package instructions, then drain and rinse with cool water to stop cooking and prevent sticking.
- Dressing Creation: Whisk together mayonnaise, sweetener, vinegar, mustard, and seasonings until smooth and well-integrated, creating a creamy flavor foundation.
- Vegetable Integration: Combine cooled macaroni with diced red bell pepper, celery, red onion, shredded carrot, and raisins in a generous mixing bowl, ensuring a colorful and textural blend.
- Flavor Fusion: Pour prepared dressing over pasta and vegetable mixture, gently folding to coat every morsel evenly, creating a glossy and harmonious salad.
- Chilling and Marinating: Refrigerate the salad for at least one hour, allowing ingredients to meld and flavors to develop, enhancing the overall taste profile.
- Final Presentation: Stir the salad before serving, checking dressing consistency and ingredient distribution, then serve chilled for a refreshing and delightful side dish.
Notes
- Prevent Pasta Clumping: Rinse macaroni immediately after draining with cold water to stop cooking and separate noodles, preventing sticky texture.
- Balance Dressing Consistency: Adjust mayonnaise quantity for desired creaminess; too little makes salad dry, too much overwhelms pasta and vegetables.
- Enhance Flavor Depth: Let salad rest in refrigerator for at least an hour, allowing ingredients to marinate and develop more robust, integrated taste profile.
- Customize Dietary Needs: Swap regular mayonnaise with Greek yogurt or vegan alternative for lighter, healthier version suitable for different dietary restrictions.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Snacks
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 370
- Sugar: 11 g
- Sodium: 250 mg
- Fat: 23 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg