Macaroni Pasta Salad

Macaroni Pasta Salad served with a side of carrots, celery, and ranch dressing.

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Spring is near! This macaroni pasta salad is great for when you are having a picnic, hiking, or doing any other sort of outdoor activity and need to pack a lunch. I’ve also used this recipe in the fall for tailgating at football games. This pasta salad can be eaten warm or cold, so it’s a great dish to have when you’re on the go.

Making this pasta salad is pretty simple. After cooking the pasta, drain it and set aside while mixing the other ingredients together. I use Earth Balance vegan mayo to make this recipe, but I know when I was younger, my mom used Miracle Whip as a mayonnaise replacement instead. Another ingredient that I add to this recipe that may seem unusual is the French dressing. I find that adding this to the salad gives it an additional flavor that just makes this recipe taste amazing. For my pasta salad, I added celery, carrots, and green onion. However, you can easily add more or less veggies depending on what you want in your pasta salad.

I love how this recipe can be served warm or cold. I did find, however, that some pastas may harden in the fridge. So when that happens I heat up the pasta salad for about 30 seconds and that’s all it takes to soften the pasta and make it a little bit warm. If you make a batch of this in the morning with the plan on serving in the afternoon or evening, putting it in the fridge for an hour or so won’t make the pasta harden. Hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:

2 cups Loprofin macaroni

1/3 cup chopped celery

1/3 cup shredded carrots

¼ cup green onion

1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

¾ cup Earth Balance Mindful Mayo

1 tbsp. French dressing

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

¼ tsp. onion powder

¼ tsp. dill

¼ tsp. chives

Servings per recipe: 4 servings

Serving size: ½ cup

Phe per serving: 29 mg

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta according the package directions.

2. In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the vegan mayo, the apple cider vinegar, the French dressing, and all the seasonings.

3. Next, add the pasta into the bowl along with the celery, carrots, and green onions. Mix together with a large spoon.

4. Set in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

5. Serve and enjoy!