This Small Macaroni Salad is the perfect simple side for small get-togethers and dinners with friends!
I have a confession: You know what my favorite summer food is? It’s not ice cream. It’s not s’mores. It’s not even a perfectly cooked and marinated ribeye steak (though that’s a really close second). It’s spoonfuls of macaroni salad stolen from the fridge on a hot summer day.
I don’t know what makes this taste so good. Maybe it’s the blast of cold air you get every time you open the fridge or the delicious feeling that you’re doing something vaguely naughty and getting away with it, but for whatever the reason, it’s the best, and I highly recommend it.
My go-to macaroni salad recipe (AKA the Best Macaroni Salad in the world) is party-sized. It’s made with a pound of macaroni and makes waaaay too much food unless you are having a party. And most of the time I make it, I’m not having a party, so it either ends up going to waste OR I eat a cutlery-drawer’s worth of spoon and forkfuls and don’t feel great about my life choices at the end of the weekend.
So, today I’m shrinking down my fav and sharing a Small Macaroni Salad recipe. It uses just four ounces of pasta and makes two to four very reasonable servings, making it perfect for burger nights with one or two friends, and leaves you with a little left over for fridge stealing the next day. 😉
Aside from being the perfect size, I LOVE THIS PASTA. I wasn’t kidding when I called the original the best macaroni salad in the world. And this small version is just as good. It’s not soaked in gallons of goopey mayonnaise like some pasta salad. There’s mayo to be sure, but just enough for a light dressing that’s sweet but not too sweet, tangy and not too vinegary. It’s loaded with crunchy bits of celery and bell pepper and is basically perfect.
Everyone I’ve ever served this pasta salad to falls instantly in love with it, even people who don’t normally like pasta salad. It’s that good.
So, serve with Tri-Tp Sandwiches. Serve with Oven-baked Ribs. Serve by itself in a bowl with a spoon. However you choose to eat it, it’s gonna be a good time.
Small Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
Pasta
- 4 ounces (1cup) macaroni
Dressing
- 1/4 cup (52g) mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 to 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard or yellow mustard
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- Pinch of cayenne
Vegetables
- 1 small green onion diced, use green and white parts
- 1/2 cup finely diced bell pepper any color
- 1/4 cup finely diced celery
- 1/4 cup finely grated carrot
Instructions
- Bring a medium pot of generously salted water to boil and cook macaroni according to package instructions. Drain and set aside to cool completely. Stir occasionally to prevent the noodles from sticking together too badly.
- In a medium bowl, combine all of the dressing ingredients and whisk together until smooth. Add vegetables and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until pasta is cool.
- Once pasta is cooled, stir pasta into the dressing. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Adapted From Food Wishes
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Vicki R. says
I used this recipe in order to follow the smaller portion of ingredients, I usually make way too much. I always add chopped hard boiled eggs (1 for this small recipe), chopped pickles, either sweet or dill and 1 ounce of small blocks of cheddar cheese. Thank you, it made enough for supper and leftovers for lunch the next day for two of us.
Tracy Brunn says
Very tasty was the right portion for my husband and I. Would definitely recommend.
Mary OHARA says
Made this today , used 2 cups pasta , I didn’t have celery so added tsp celery seed . Thanks for the recipe it was divine . Will make again
Jackie says
Did not like this salad, not tasty. Will not be making again. Don’t know how some people think it’s good, apparently they haven’t tasted a good macaroni salad!!
Tracy says
Sad to see you didn’t enjoy it! It’s definitely a family favorite around here.
Danial says
I add just a little thyme to mine…game changer
Diane says
Wow. MAC SALAD is amazing. 3rd time I’ve tried to comment. Comment changes every time. Didn’t measure. Just stirred it up. Did add dash onion powder and little paprika. Not that it needed it. Will be serving on Halloween. Great Recipe. Thanks
Tracy says
So glad you enjoyed it, Diane!!
Karen says
Perfect for a summer side. My family loved it. I have made several times. Gotta say it’s also good with a little bacon added.
Rebecca says
Love this recipe! It’s perfect! I eat this several times a week for a quick lunch…. AND I wish all recipes had that extra step to adjust servings, that’s a God send!
Jen says
Thanks for the recipe! Maybe I added too much, but it just tasted like a mouthful of mayonnaise to me. I’ll try chilling it for a few hours and revisit. 🙂
Angie says
I just found this recipe this morning It’s easy , It’s delicious and perfect for dinner for 2.
Will make again and again
Thank you so much
Caroline Chang says
Haven’t made this yet, but THANK YOU for offering a smaller salad. There is only 2 of us eating, and I hate to waste it! This looks wonderful, and looking forward to being able to FINISH the entire salad. Thank you!!
Tracy says
I loved this recipe- the dressing is tangy.
I only had bow tie pasta. I used a measuring cup but double checked it on my scale and it requires two cups of dry bow tie pasta to get 8 ounces.
Boje says
I loved this recipe!! I refreshed the salad with a spoonful of Miracle Whip before serving. I thought Miracle Whip would be better than the Mayo because of it’s sweet tanginess. I am keeping this recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Judy Mowry says
Was looking for something to go with chicken sandwiches today. My nephew is over helping the hubby out with building projects and I like to feed him well. So as I stumbled across your salad I thought ooo. After cooking one batch of Mac I thought that’s not enough lol. This kid can eat. So I did another cup and increased the veggies. So he will be a good one to try this on. After reading some of the comments I think I’ll add two HB eggs to the mix. ️
Carole says
I saw this while scrolling last night.Love pasta salad. And couldn’t wait to make it this morning. Didn’t have white vinegar for the dressing so used cider vinegar but otherwise I followed recipe. Taste testing the dressing I found it was a “bit” tart so I added some sweet pickle juice and it was delicious. And it was the perfect size for two of us. Got any more small size recipes??Thank you for sharing!
Marguerite DelPercio says
Can you tell me what brand of pasta do you use for this salad. I love the screw shape. thanks, Rita