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Home / Comfort Food / Macaroni Pasta Salad – Dot’s Original Family Recipe

Macaroni Pasta Salad – Dot’s Original Family Recipe

Published: April 20, 2019 | Last Updated: July 8, 2019 | By Lisa Hatfield 15 Comments

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Last Updated July 8th, 2019 at 09:05 am by Lisa

The BEST Macaroni Pasta Salad - Dot's Original Family Recipe with chopped pickles and pickle juice in this favorite old fashioned recipe loved by all!

The BEST Macaroni Pasta Salad – Dot’s Original Family Recipe with chopped pickles and pickle juice in this favorite old-fashioned recipe loved by all!

The chopped pickles and pickle juice make it super tangy and tasty…

white plate on white wood containing macaroni pasta salad

The Origins of Macaroni Pasta Salad

This recipe comes from my Mother in Law, Mrs. Torres. Some call her Dorothy, or “Dot”, but to me, she is Mrs. Torres. This is a family recipe passed down by her Mom, and I make it just like she taught me.

closeup of macaroni pasta salad with fork on side of plate

When we serve this to friends and family, people fill up their plates chuckling at themselves, can’t stop eating it, and go back for seconds and I have seen thirds happen.

closeup of white ceramic plate containing macaroni pasta salad

Tips for Making Macaroni Pasta Salad

Boiling Eggs Tips for Macaroni Pasta Salad

Do you hate boiling eggs and then peeling them? Well, have I got a tip for you that I got from a food friend of mine.

Thanks to my friend Carol Borchardt, a personal chef, newspaper columnist, and recipe developer From A Chef’s Kitchen. She has an amazing, beautiful blog full of delicious recipes and gorgeous photography. Go take a peek, you will love it!

Egg Boiling Tip:

Place the eggs in boiling water, and by the way, the water doesn’t even have to cover the eggs. I never knew either but now we both know.

Boil eggs for 14 minutes, then remove and place in a large bowl of ice water. Then crack the shells, and peel under water. The shells come right off, what a time saver. Now it is fun to peel eggs. Finally.

You’re welcome… I knew you would love this one. : ) Thanks again Carol!

Mason Jar Egg Peeling Tip:

Simply place a cool egg in a mason jar, place the lid on or cover with your hand and shake for a few seconds. It only works one egg at a time, trust me I tried! It is so much faster than peeling them the old-fashioned way!

Egg Peeling in mason jar before making macaroni pasta salad

Serving Macaroni Pasta Salad:

Keep this salad cold and or chilled as it has mayonnaise in the ingredients.

You can place it in a bowl of ice, ice packs during a party, or take from the fridge right before serving.

macaroni pasta salad in a white takeout container with fork inside

Picnic and Cooler Tip:

Pack macaroni pasta salad in inexpensive (order online) take out boxes for picnics.

bowl of macaroni pasta salad with a fork inside the side

Make a big bowl of macaroni pasta salad, and watch it disappear at your next party!

All the Best Dishes,

Lisa

XO

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overhead view of white plate with macaroni pasta salad and a fork
Print Pin Recipe

Macaroni Pasta Salad – Dot’s Original Family Recipe

The BEST Macaroni Pasta Salad – Dot’s Original Family Recipe with chopped pickles and pickle juice in this favorite old-fashioned recipe loved by all!
Course Side Dishes & Vegetables
Cuisine American
Keyword pickle pasta salad, short salad pasta
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 334kcal
Author Lisa Hatfield

Ingredients

  • 1 bag Anthony’s Short Salad Pasta (16 oz/1 lb.)
  • 6 hard-boiled eggs chopped
  • 3 cups celery diced
  • 2 cups green onions  sliced
  • 2 cups picked juice from dill pickles
  • 2 cups dill pickles chopped
  • 1 large can black sliced olives
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup yellow mustard
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Boil and peel eggs (see notes)
  • Boil the pasta, drain.
  • While the pasta is boiling, chop finely: celery, green onions, dill pickles, and peeled eggs.
  • In a large bowl, mix all chopped ingredients into the warm pasta: celery, green onions, chopped pickles, pickle juice, chopped eggs, black olives, mayonnaise, yellow mustard, sea salt, pepper, and chill for several hours or overnight. The warm pasta will absorb the pickle juice as it sits in the fridge, that is what makes it so good!
  • optional: Dot slices a couple eggs and places them on top with sprinkles of paprika on top to make it pretty!
  • Serve in inexpensive paper Chinese takeout containers (order online), great for picnics and parties.

Notes

Tips for Boiling and Peeling Eggs: Place water in a medium pot, the water doesn’t have to cover the eggs…who knew? Boil eggs for 14 minutes. Remove eggs and place in a large bowl of ice water. Then crack the shells, and peel under water. The shells come right off, what a time saver! You are welcome, I knew you would love this one. Another peeling egg trick is to simply place a cool egg in a mason jar. Place the lid on the jar or cover with your hand and shake for a few seconds. It only works one egg at a time, trust me I tried! It is so much faster than peeling them the old-fashioned way!

Nutrition

Calories: 334kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 1369mg | Potassium: 273mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 495IU | Vitamin C: 4.3mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 1.4mg
Tried this recipe?Let’s see it on Instagram! Follow us @Delicious.Table and tag us on your recipe photo with #delicioustable
Need ingredients or equipment to make this recipe? Shop Now Every cooking product recommended I own, use, and love how they perform in my kitchen. Happy Cooking! Lisa
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Delicious Table earns advertising fees from qualified purchases linking to Amazon.com

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Filed Under: Comfort Food, Easter Recipes, Game Day, July 4th, Memorial, Labor Day, Party Food, Reader Favorites, Side Dishes & Vegetables, Soups, Salads & Sandwiches Tagged With: BBQ side salad, cold salad, Grill Side salad, Mac Salad, macaroni pasta salad, Macaroni Pasta Salad - Dot’s Original Family Recipe, macaroni salad, party macaroni pasta salad, pasta salad, pasta salad for a crowd, Picnic Salad, salad

We Love Comments & Recipe Ratings

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rhonda Leaf says

    July 3, 2017 at 2:28 PM

    Great sounding recipes! Love the photos of food!

    Reply
  2. Meghan says

    March 21, 2018 at 10:30 AM

    5 stars
    Dot sure knows how to make some good pasta salad! I made this for a school pot luck on Monday and it was gone before I could even grab a serving of my own! (Don’t worry, I definitely “taste tested” a portion when I made it.) It was amazing!

    Reply
  3. Abrah says

    July 9, 2018 at 1:30 PM

    I am so excited to try this recipe! It looks delicious and super easy to prepare. I’m searching for my go-to for this, and I have a good feeling this may be “the one”.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      July 10, 2018 at 4:15 PM

      Yay! Well it has been my go-to for many years! Honestly, when I make it for parties I double or triple the batch because everyone wants to take some to go….we always serve it in summer. The pickle juice makes it spectacular…

      Reply
  4. tara pittman says

    July 9, 2018 at 1:48 PM

    This is like a dish that my mom made. As a kid I liked the eggs in it the best.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      July 10, 2018 at 4:29 PM

      Ahh Tara! My mother in law was so thrilled when I put her recipe out there for everyone. Every time I make this, someone wants the recipe…of course its on my website. But it’s funny when I have a guest and the love the eggs and the pickles!

      Reply
  5. Natalie says

    July 9, 2018 at 5:35 PM

    No way – I just literally finished eating my pasta salad haha! Seriously love eating the stuff, especially in the hot summer months!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      July 10, 2018 at 4:11 PM

      That is too funny! My mother in law gave me this recipe when I was dating her son, I have made it countless times over the years its just sooo good!

      Reply
  6. Princess Quinn says

    July 10, 2018 at 6:37 AM

    5 stars
    Wow, this is a great recipe I must try. This looks delicious and easy to make. Can I serve it chilled?

    Reply
  7. DeeDee says

    July 10, 2018 at 7:38 AM

    Really sounds delicious and the photos take it to the next level!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      July 10, 2018 at 4:07 PM

      Ah thanks, DeeDee! My Mother in law is so proud that I put her recipe on the website, and her son loves when I make it for him!

      Reply
  8. David Allen Elliott says

    July 10, 2018 at 12:16 PM

    5 stars
    I would absolutely love this pasta salad. But I think my daughter would really like it as well. We are big pickle fans and so we would love the addition of pickles to this dish.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      July 10, 2018 at 4:06 PM

      We are huge pickle fans as well! If you love pickles, try my Mac Pasta Salad recipe (the secret ingredient is PICKLE JUICE!) It is my Mother In Laws recipe, and a total family fave…even our neighbors love it!

      Reply
  9. Heather says

    July 10, 2018 at 4:58 PM

    This looks and sounds really delicious! I’m going to have to make this for my family soon.

    Reply
  10. LavandaMichelle says

    July 10, 2018 at 9:00 PM

    5 stars
    What a cool recipe. This looks delish, I’d love to make it. Thanks for sharing! 🙂

    Reply

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