Macaroni salad still a popular dish

Last week, when my friend Marie sent me the newspaper article I’d asked her to save, she enclosed a recipe on which she’d noted “This was yummy!” Since Marie is an excellent cook who is always trying new things in the kitchen, I took her suggestion and made this updated version of macaroni salad (see photo).

Macaroni salad – a church supper and summer barbecue staple – is the overly sweet, gummy ancestor of what is more popular today, renamed and reimagined as pasta salad. Food historians agree the salad of mayonnaise and elbow macaroni seems to be an American invention, perhaps as a variation on the German import, potato salad dressed in mayonnaise or oil.

Early in the 1900s, newspapers featured recipes for macaroni salads often mixed with ingredients like olives or pimento to brighten the bland, off-white color of the dish. Because pasta was an inexpensive ingredient, the simple side became increasingly popular. When doctors started warning people of the potential health risks associated with high-fat, high-cholesterol foods, macaroni salad evolved.

Today, if you see pasta salad on the menu, you’ll often find it dressed with an olive oil vinaigrette and packed with roasted or raw vegetables. Some versions incorporate healthy proteins like tofu or grilled chicken. Not only has the elbow-shaped pasta been replaced with corkscrews or bow-ties, the ratio of pasta to other ingredients has shrunk.

However, there are still hundreds of recipes for the familiar version of elbow macaroni salad, with all sorts of extras added to the dressing, from chopped bacon to hot sauce to sun-dried tomatoes and chunks of cheese. The traditional ingredients beyond the macaroni include sweet pickles, celery and onion, while the standard dressing features mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard and sugar.

There are a few issues with macaroni salad that need attention if you’re planning to make it. First is the pasta shape, which should be curvy (like elbows), not straight (like penne). Next is how to cook the pasta – always al dente, unless you live in Hawaii, where it’s deliberately overcooked into mushiness.

The mix-ins need to be finely diced so they don’t overpower, but there’s lots of room here to make substitutions. Since I’m not a fan of sugar, I reach for the dill relish instead of sweet gherkins or bread-and-butter pickles. And to keep the pasta from absorbing the dressing and ruining the creamy mouthfeel, I toss it with a bit of olive oil to coat the outside.

The recipe Marie sent came from NYT Cooking, the New York Times’ online repository of all things food, from menu ideas to party planning to kitchen tools. What I found interesting about this macaroni salad recipe was the way it honored tradition by keeping the mayonnaise dressing, but took a different direction by changing the flavor profile with lemon and dill.

Of course, as in kitchens everywhere, we didn’t follow the recipe exactly. Instead of buttermilk, I used sour cream, and you already know I went with dill pickles. In spite of my alterations, the result was light and fresh, loaded with crunchy and creamy textures, tart scallions and salty capers. The parsley and dill melded nicely with the lemon zest and juice. Marie was right, this was yummy!

Macaroni Salad with Lemon & Herbs*

8 oz elbow macaroni
1 t olive oil
1 diced celery stalk
2 sliced scallions
1/3 C mayonnaise
2 T sour cream
1/3 C pickle relish
3 T minced parsley
2 T chopped dill
2 T drained capers
1 T caper brine
2 t Dijon mustard
zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper, to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook elbows until al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain into a colander, rinse with cool water and return to saucepan. Add olive oil and toss to coat completely; set aside. While pasta cooks, prepare the dressing. Combine remaining ingredients in a serving bowl and stir until smooth. After pasta is slightly cooled, add to the bowl and toss with the dressing. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Yield: 6 servings. *Adapted from NYT Cooking.

Macaroni Salad

8 oz elbow macaroni
1 t olive oil
5 diced sweet gherkins
2/3 C diced red bell pepper
1/3 C diced celery
1/3 C diced red onion
3/4 C mayonnaise
1/4 C sour cream
2 T sweet pickle juice
1 T rice wine vinegar
1 T sugar
2 t Dijon mustard
salt & pepper, to taste

Cook macaroni in a pot of salted boiling water until al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain in a colander, rinse with cool water and return to saucepan. Add olive oil and toss to coat completely; set aside. While elbows cook, toss together remaining ingredients in a serving bowl. When pasta has cooled slightly, add it to bowl and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Yield: 6 servings.

Bacon & Cheese Macaroni Salad

8 oz elbow macaroni
1 t olive oil
8 slices bacon 
1/2 C plain Greek yogurt
1/4 C mayonnaise 
8 oz grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 T apple cider vinegar
1 t hot sauce
1 t Dijon mustard
salt & pepper, to taste

Cook macaroni in a pot of salted boiling water until al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain in a colander, rinse with cool water and return to saucepan. Add olive oil and toss to coat completely; set aside. While pasta cooks, sauté bacon until crisp; drain and set aside. Combine remaining ingredients in the bowl of a blender or miniature food processor. Puree until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. In a serving bowl, toss the cooled pasta with dressing. Crumble bacon and scatter over the top. Yield: 6 servings.