Hawaiian Pasta Salad

A creamy Hawaiian pasta salad makes the perfect side dish for all of your favorite summer meals!

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword best hawaiian mac salad recipe, hawaiian mac salad, hawaiian macaroni salad, hawaiian pasta salad, hawaiian pasta salad recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Chilling Time 2

Total Time 2 35

Servings people

Calories 316kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

8 ounces (about 2 cups) uncooked elbow macaroni pasta
1 cup mayonnaise, plus more to taste
¼ cup whole milk, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
½ cup peeled and shredded carrots (about 1 large carrot)
¼ cup thinly sliced celery (about ½ of a large stalk)
Optional garnish: chopped green onions or chives

Instructions

Cook the macaroni in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions for al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside to dry and cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, milk, vinegar, and sugar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the pasta, carrots, and celery to the mayonnaise dressing. Toss gently until completely combined. There will be a lot of dressing initially, but the pasta will absorb a good amount of it as the salad chills. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or overnight).
Just before serving, give everything a good stir. If desired, add extra mayo and/or a little bit of milk to moisten the salad until it reaches the desired consistency. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if necessary. Garnish with chopped green onion.

Notes

Make Ahead: The salad is best when it has at least a couple of hours to chill. You can assemble it in advance and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before serving. Just before you plan to enjoy it, freshen it up with extra mayo or milk if necessary.

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