Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

donna's macaroni salad

(8 ratings)
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
Elaine Moretti
Palm Beach Gardens, FL

Everyone always asks me to make double so they will have some to take home in the "to go" containers. I like the fact that it doesn't have any mayonnaise in it. Cutting the veggies into really tiny pieces is time-consuming, but so worth it. Remember to serve it at room temperature.

Blue Ribbon Recipe

Delicious and picnic-safe? Sign us up! This is a great pasta salad sans mayo filled with lots of veggies. So, feel free to whip up a batch and head on out to your summer festivities. It has fantastic flavor and is meant to serve a crowd. Making the dressing, rather than bottled, gives this summer salad a fresh flavor. The pasta salad recipe is terrific as written, but it would also be fairly easy to substitute in any other veggies you have around the kitchen. You can make this a day ahead because it's even better the next day.

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
(8 ratings)
yield 12 -16
prep time 20 Min
cook time 10 Min
method Stove Top

Ingredients For donna's macaroni salad

  • 1 lb
    small elbow macaroni, cooked
  • 1/4 lb
    genoa salami
  • 1/4 lb
    boiled ham
  • 1/2 can
    black olives (6.5 oz can)
  • 3 stalk
    celery
  • 1 lg
    cucumber
  • 3 md
    tomatoes
  • 1 md
    red onion
  • 2 pkg
    Good Seasons Italian dressing (made according to package directions)

How To Make donna's macaroni salad

Test Kitchen Tips
We tossed our salad in a large bowl with a lid. Making sure the lid was tight we gave it a few shakes to coat everything before serving.
  • Macaroni cooking in a pot.
    1
    Cook macaroni. Rinse in cold water and cool macaroni.
  • Diced veggies and meat on a cutting board.
    2
    Dice ALL ingredients into VERY small pieces.
  • Diced ingredients mixed with cooked and cooled pasta.
    3
    Toss everything together in a large bowl.
  • Dressing prepared per package directions.
    4
    Mix dressing according to package directions.
  • Pouring dressing over the macaroni salad.
    5
    Stir in dressing and make sure everything is well coated.
  • Donna's Macaroni Salad on a plate.
    6
    Best if made the night or day before and served at room temperature. I put everything in a large white kitchen trash bag. Makes for easy tossing and storing in the refrigerator. Can very easily be halved, doubled, or tripled.
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