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a plain bowl of elbow macaroni in creamy dressing with small celery and red-pepper pieces, minced onion and visible chopped hard-cooked egg whites and yellow yolk pieces
Rachel Kim

Macaroni Salad

Classic macaroni salad gets its balance from a little sweetness, a little mustard and vegetables cut small enough to travel with the elbows. Stir the vinegar into the drained pasta first. The creamy dressing follows after the noodles cool, so the flavor reaches the pasta instead of sitting only on its surface. Hard-cooked eggs make the bowl substantial, but fold them in last with a light hand so their yolks don't turn the whole dressing chalky.
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Prep Time 55 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 8
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 12 oz dry elbow macaroni
  • 1 tbsp fine salt for pasta water
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 2 tsp yellow mustard
  • 2 tsp granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp fine salt for dressing
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 2 celery ribs finely diced
  • 1/2 red bell pepper finely diced
  • 2 tbsp finely minced yellow onion

Method
 

  1. Put eggs in a saucepan, cover with cold water by 1 inch and bring to a boil. Cover, remove from heat and let stand for 12 minutes, then cool in ice water, peel and chop.
  2. Meanwhile, boil macaroni in water with the tablespoon salt until fully tender. Drain, toss with vinegar and spread in a shallow dish for 10 minutes to stop steaming.
  3. Mix mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, sugar, dressing salt and pepper. Fold through cooled macaroni with celery, bell pepper and onion.
  4. Add chopped eggs gently, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes; the listed prep time includes this chilling.
  5. Stir lightly before serving cold and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.