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Bowl of macaroni salad with black olives, red peppers, and topped with black pepper.

Classic Macaroni Salad

Easy and classic macaroni salad recipe. Mayonaise, black olives, dill relish, onion, and roasted red peppers.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Chilling 2 hours
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (8 ounces) uncooked elbow macaroni
  • ⅓ cup mayonnaise, plus more as needed
  • 1 (2.25 ounce) can sliced black olives, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
  • ¼ cup chopped roasted red peppers
  • ¼ cup dill relish
  • 2 tablespoons chopped onions, see note
  • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
  • Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Cook Pasta. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Salt the water. Cook pasta until tender. Drain. Rinse with cold water until cool. (Gently stir the pasta as you rinse it. This helps to quickly cool the pasta.)

  2. Make the Dressing. Combine the mayonnaise, olives, red peppers, onions, apple cider vinegar, and sugar in a medium bowl. Stir to combine.

  3. Toss Together. Add the pasta and stir to combine. Taste. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill the macaroni salad for two hours or overnight. Stir before serving. Add more mayonaise if needed. Adjust salt and pepper as needed.

Recipe Notes

Notes

  • Add more olives, roasted red peppers, and dill relish to taste.
  • The onion flavor intensifies as the salad chills.