Amish Pasta Salad

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Amish pasta salad recipe is a family favorite recipe that is always the first to go at potlucks and parties. Fresh vegetables blend with pasta, hard-boiled eggs, and a tangy, creamy dressing for a side dish you’ll find yourself making again and again!

white bowl with Amish macaroni salad garnished with parsley

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We are big pasta salad fans at our house-there are just so many different variations! Italian pasta salad, BLT pasta salad, Tuscan inspired, the list goes on and on!

In all honesty, I never grew up eating this Amish Macaroni salad. My husband from the Midwest introduced it to me as an adult. But the way I see it, the more types of pasta salad recipes I have, the better! Let’s get cooking!

Ingredients

elbow macaroni
hard-boiled eggs
onion
celery
red bell pepper
dill pickle relish
mayonnaise (Miracle Whip is fine too)
white sugar
yellow mustard
white vinegar
celery seed
salt

Step by step

This recipe is so easy, boiling the noodles is the hardest part of prep. Be sure to leave enough time for the macaroni salad to chill in the refrigerator to allow the flavors to blend before serving.

Amish macaroni salad ingredients in glass bowl

pouring dressing over Amish macaroni salad

Cook elbow noodles according to package instructions, drain and cool.
Combine cooled pasta, eggs, onion, celery, bell pepper and relish in a large bowl.
Stir together salad dressing, sugar, mustard, vinegar, celery seed, and salt in a separate small bowl. Pour over the pasta mixture and stir to coat.
Cover and refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

Tips for best results

Don’t overcook the pasta to avoid a mushy pasta salad, cook until just al dente. The pasta will absorb the dressing as it sits and soften.
Use a very large bowl for mixing up the pasta salad so you have room and don’t overflow onto the countertop!
Allow the pasta to cool before tossing with the vegetables. You can run cold water over to quicken the process if needed. Tossing the veggies with hot pasta can cause them to wilt and release water into the salad making it runny.
Be sure to mix the dressing in a separate bowl before adding to the pasta and veggies so that the ingredients are fully blended.

two bowls of Amish pasta salad seen from above

FAQs

Can I use a different type of pasta for Amish pasta salad?

While small macaroni is the most commonly used for this recipe you can absolutely switch it up with other similarly sized pastas.

Can I change the vegetables included?

I encourage everyone to make each recipe their own. This is the classic combination of veggies generally found in Amish macaroni salad but by all means, customize it to your own taste!

Should I use mayonnaise or Miracle Whip?

I’m usually a die-hard Dukes mayonnaise girl but this recipe in particular tastes great with Miracle Whip because of the extra tangy flavor it adds. Choose one or the other, they both work well. You absolutely cannot omit the mayo/MIracle Whip in this recipe though, it is the base of the dressing.

Can I omit the sugar?

I don’t recommend leaving out the sugar in this recipe, it helps to balance all of the flavors and make the dressing have its signature sweet and tangy taste.

Can Amish pasta salad be made in advance?

This recipe needs to be made at least 1 hour in advance but up to 24 works too. The pasta does soak in the dressing as it sits so it may seem drier if you let it sit a longer time before serving.

If you try this recipe please comment and rate it below, I love hearing from you!