Hawaiian Macaroni Salad Recipe
This Hawaiian Macaroni Salad combines noodles and veggies in a sweet-and-tangy dressing for the perfect side dish for picnics and cookouts.
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- ½ cup peeled and shredded sweet onion
- 2 shredded ribs of celery
- 3 peeled, shredded carrots
- 1 ½ tablespoons granulated or light brown sugar
- ½ cup thinly sliced green onions
- 2 cups mayonnaise
- ¼ cup half and half
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Cool the pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water according to the package instructions.
- Drain and cool under cold water.
- Add the cool, strained pasta to a large bowl along with the remaining ingredients.
- Mix thoroughly until combined.
- Adjust any seasonings and serve or cover and store.
Notes
I almost always aim for al dente when I’m cooking pasta, but not here. If you ask any local about Hawaiian pasta salad, they’ll tell you to cook the noodles thoroughly. I followed the maximum cooking time on the package to make the noodles soft enough to soak up the dressing without turning mushy.
Rinse the noodles: I don’t usually rinse cooked pasta, but I recommend it for this salad. The water quickly cools the noodles and washes away the excess starch that would normally turn the macaroni salad into a sticky brick in the fridge.
Easy shredding: Shredding the vegetables with a box grater is great, but a food processor fitted with a shredding blade is the easiest method.
Go heavy on the dressing: I know it might look like a lot of dressing at first, but trust the process. The macaroni will absorb a lot of the moisture as it chills in the fridge.
Chill time: I always refrigerate pasta salad for at least 1 hour before serving. This gives the pasta plenty of time to fully absorb the dressing and for any bitterness from the raw veggies to break down into something sweet and mellow.
Add more: I’m not opposed to upgrading this Hawaiian macaroni salad with add-ins, like hard-boiled eggs, canned tuna, bacon, diced red bell peppers, peas, a spoonful of sweet pickle relish, or a dash of sweet paprika.
Make-Ahead: For the best flavor, make this macaroni salad a few hours in advance or the night before serving. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve, and do not leave it out for more than 2 hours.
How to Store: Cover the salad and keep it in the fridge for 3 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 454kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 6gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 18gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 273mgPotassium: 173mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 124IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 28mgIron: 1mg