Best Side Dish for Any Occasion

One of the best side dishes of summer is the iconic macaroni salad which is the perfect pairing with any main dish. Here is the creamiest macaroni salad recipe:

About Macaroni Salads

Macaroni salad is a type of pasta salad that is mayonnaise-based. The dish is purely an American creation that popularized in the 1960s. Today you can find so many variations and interpretations.

The dish regains recognition every summer because of its refreshingly cold temperature, its use of fresh seasonal vegetables, and that it’s the perfect dish side to classic summer meals like barbecues and fried chicken.

Macaroni salad has a bad reputation when it comes to how it’s made. “It’s dry.” “It’s unhealthy because of all the mayonnaise.” Well, this recipe is so creamy and does not need to use the same amount of mayonnaise as typical recipes. In fact, this can even be considered a healthy macaroni salad!

Creamiest Macaroni Salad Recipe

side dish, good for 6-8 persons
Ingredients:

500 grams dried short pasta of your choice
1 Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, red or green, chopped
1 small broccoli head, chopped
1 apple, chopped
1 can or bottle of tuna in olive oil, at least 100-150 grams
300 grams of unsweetened plain yogurt
6 Tablespoons, or 90 grams of Japanese mayonnaise
Salt & Pepper to taste
Parmigiano Reggiano to garnish

Note: For fruits and vegetable, think of a variety of colors and textures which will further enhance the creaminess of the cold pasta. Optional fruits can also include pineapple, crispy melon, or raisins. Optional vegetables can also include green beans, peas, chickpeas, carrots, or celery.

1. The first thing is to choose your preferred short pasta. You can go with the typical elbow macaroni or have a little fun with other types such as penne or shells like orecchiette.

2. Boil a pot of water for the pasta and add a generous tablespoon of salt to flavor the water. Cook the pasta 2 minutes shorter than the recommended time on the package. Drain the water and transfer the pasta to a bowl that can fit in the freezer. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil on the pasta and stir it together to make sure the pasta does not stick together. Place the bowl in the freezer for about 10 to 15 minutes. This stops the pasta from further cooking and cools down the pasta itself.

3. While the pasta boils and cools, this is your opportunity to chop the rest of the ingredients into small chopped bites. Onion is the staple that always should be added. The rest of the vegetables and fruits is up to you. You can use what’s available in your fridge or you can choose your favorites. In any case, think of a variety of colors and textures which will further enhance the creaminess of the cold pasta.

4. Open the bottle or can of tuna and pour all contents, tuna AND olive oil, into a boil. Mash the tuna so the chunks become smaller and smoother.

5. Take the bowl of pasta out of the freezer and pour it into your largest mixing bowl. Then, add the tuna and olive into the pasta. Stir well with a large spoon to really mix in the tuna oil throughout all the pieces of pasta. Then, add the chopped fruits and vegetables.

6. In a small bowl, mix together the unsweetened yogurt, Japanese mayonnaise, about 3 generous teaspoons of salt, and a couple of cranks of freshly ground pepper. Stir to blend together. The secret in this recipe is the yogurt! It naturally adds extra creaminess as well as all that healthy probiotics and protein. You still need that generous dollop of mayonnaise for added creaminess and depth of flavor.

7. Add the sauce mixture to the pasta salad to officially make it a macaroni salad. Stir and fold in well to incorporate the sauce thoroughly and to evenly distribute all the ingredients. Taste to see if you need to add one or two more teaspoons of salt.

8. Chill the bowl in the fridge until your whole meal is ready to serve. Freshly grate parmigiano reggiano per serving (or grate the cheese in a small serving bowl to scoop per serving). If you add the cheese ahead of time while mixing the pasta, you’ll find that the cheese dries out the mixture. So it is best to add the cheese on top of each individual serving.