Description
A delightful macaroni salad combining comforting pasta with fresh veggies and a creamy dressing, perfect for potlucks and family dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound (16 ounces) elbow macaroni, uncooked
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 large carrots, peeled and grated
- 2 ribs celery, finely chopped
- ½ medium sweet onion, finely grated
- 1 bunch green onions, sliced
- 2 cups mayonnaise
- 1 cup half and half
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt (or to taste)
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Boil a large pot of salted water. Cook your elbow pasta for 3 minutes longer than the package directions state for al dente. After cooking, drain the pasta using a colander and transfer the hot pasta to a large bowl.
- Drizzle some apple cider vinegar over the warm pasta. Gently mix it with a wooden spoon and let it cool while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Mix the grated carrots, chopped celery, both types of onions, mayonnaise, half and half, sugar, salt, pepper, and paprika in a separate bowl. Stir until everything is well combined.
- Pour this mixture into the bowl with the cooled pasta. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to gently fold everything together until the pasta is well coated with the dressing.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-4 hours to let the flavors meld. For best results, chill overnight.
- Serve chilled, garnished with freshly chopped green onions or parsley.
Notes
For added sweetness, consider adding diced pineapple chunks. Use light mayonnaise or Greek yogurt for a lower-calorie option.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Hawaiian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 400mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 20mg