Deli Style Pasta Salad

A classic pasta salad.

4 servings
1 hour 30 minutes
Ethan Chlebowski

Ingredients

Salad components

  • Dried macaroni noodles
    454 g1 lb
  • Celery, diced
    2 ribs
  • Carrots, diced
    1
  • Dill Pickles, minced
    1
  • Red Onions, diced
    1/2
  • Salt

Deli-style dressing

  • Kewpie mayo
    200 g
  • Dijon Mustard
    20 g
  • Lemon juice
    1/4 lemon
  • Garlic Powder
    a sprinkle
  • Sugar
    a spoonful
  • Salt
    to taste
  • MSG
    a sprinkle

Method

Step 1: Boil the pasta

Add your pasta to a pot of , salted water. Overcook the pasta by 3 or 4 minutes longer than the package instructions suggest. This overcooking allows the pasta to maintain a perfect chewy texture when cooled for the salad, instead of just hardening.

Once the pasta is cooked, strain it and spread it onto a baking sheet to cool.

  • For an extra touch, consider mixing in a couple of spoonfuls of pickle liquid to the pasta so it absorbs some of that flavor.

While the pasta cools for about 30 minutes, you can use this time to prepare everything else.

Step 2: Prepare the vegetables & the dressing

Dice your onion, carrot, and celery finely. Mince the dill pickle (it serves as an aromatic in this recipe).

Next, combine the mayo, mustard, lemon juice, sugar, garlic powder, black pepper, and MSG in a bowl and mix until well blended.

Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. The flavor should be powerful as it will season the pasta and vegetables.

Step 3: Assemble & serve

In a large bowl or container, mix cooked pasta, vegetables, and dressing until everything is evenly coated. You can adjust the amount of dressing to your preference.

For best results, let the mac salad rest in the fridge for at least an hour before serving. It tastes even better if left overnight. Enjoy

“A classic deli-style macaroni salad. Experiment with the dressing, vegetables, and aromatics for different flavor profiles.”

Ethan Chlebowski
Creator

Watch & Cook

Nutritional Information

entire recipe
Calories2982
367g
145g
29g

Show macros split into…

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Recommended: 4 servings

FAQ

Is there a way to make this lower-cal?

This is a classic deli-style pasta salad. For a healthier dressing, sub in some low-fat yogurt for some of the mayo.

Are there other variations of this I could make?

Almost any crunchy vegetable will work, so feel free to experiment! Any short pasta shape is good here. For an example of how to alter the flavor profiles and dressing, check out our healthier Chicken Avocado Cilantro Pasta Salad version.