Description
Classic Amish macaroni salad brings creamy comfort to summer gatherings with its tangy mayonnaise dressing and crisp vegetables. Midwestern home cooks appreciate this simple side dish that delivers pure nostalgic flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (240 g) mayonnaise
- ¼ cup (60 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tbsps (30 ml) white vinegar
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) yellow mustard
- 2 cups (200 g) elbow macaroni, uncooked
- 3 large hard-boiled eggs, chopped
- ½ cup (75 g) diced celery
- ½ cup (75 g) diced onion
- ¼ cup (35 g) diced red bell pepper
- ¼ cup (35 g) diced green bell pepper
- ½ tsp (2.5 ml) smoked paprika (optional, for garnish)
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Pasta Preparation: Immerse macaroni in a generously salted, vigorously boiling water bath, cooking until achieving an al dente texture per package instructions. Swiftly drain in a colander and rinse with cold water to immediately cease cooking and preserve ideal pasta consistency.
- Cooling Technique: Distribute macaroni across a pristine kitchen surface, allowing complete temperature reduction and preventing potential pasta clustering. Ensure noodles reach ambient temperature for optimal dressing absorption.
- Dressing Creation: Whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt, and pepper in a spacious mixing bowl, blending until smooth and uniform. Incorporate finely chopped celery, onions, and bell peppers into the creamy mixture, creating a vibrant flavor profile.
- Salad Assembly: Gently fold cooled macaroni into the prepared dressing, ensuring each pasta strand is elegantly coated. Delicately mix to maintain pasta integrity and distribute seasonings evenly throughout the salad.
- Chilling and Serving: Transfer the macaroni salad to a sealed container and refrigerate for minimum one hour, allowing flavors to meld and intensify. Before serving, give a gentle stir and garnish with optional fresh herbs for enhanced visual appeal and taste complexity.
Notes
- Control Pasta Texture: Cook macaroni just until al dente to maintain a slight firmness, preventing mushy texture in the final salad.
- Rapid Cooling Technique: Immediately rinse pasta with cold water after cooking to stop the cooking process and prevent overcooking, ensuring perfect pasta consistency.
- Dressing Absorption Hack: Let pasta cool completely to room temperature, which allows it to absorb dressing more effectively and prevents watery results.
- Prevent Sticking Strategy: Spread pasta on a clean surface or towel to dry and separate noodles, avoiding clumpy or sticky macaroni in the final dish.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Side Dish
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 330
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg