The name says it all. A recipe worthy of my Mom’s name in the title has to be amazing…and this Summer salad recipe is worthy. My Mom makes the absolute best comfort food and this bow tie pasta salad recipe is one of her classics. My Mom’s macaroni or bow tie pasta salad recipe combines classic Summer pasta salad ingredients with a few unique ingredients and the result is none other than Summer BBQ, potluck or picnic side dish perfection.
The best pasta for macaroni salad. Spoiler alert: The answer isn’t in the question.
Macaroni or elbow pasta is the classic choice for creamy macaroni salad. It’s a good choice…but not a requirement.
I’m sensitive to gluten so I’ve been eating gluten free for almost 15 years. Unfortunately macaroni or small shell pasta isn’t always available in my favorite gluten free brands, so through the years I’ve experimented with other types of noodles. The only real requirement is that the pasta is small so that we get the perfect ratio of pasta and sauce in every bite, but aside from that, pretty much anything goes!
Here are a few of my favorites.
- Bow tie pasta or bowtie pasta (Farfalle pasta): Traditionally, bowtie pasta is used for Italian pasta salads prepared with an Italian dressing or a vinaigrette. It’s also used for a creamy pasta salad, made with cubed ham and cheese. It turns out that this bowtie pasta is perfect for traditional creamy pasta salad too! It holds a good amount of sauce and it’s one of my favorites because my kids love the bow tie shape and we all know that kids eat with their eyes.
- Rotini pasta: This is another kid-friendly option. The shape holds sauce and even small pieces of the veggies, making it an excellent option for pasta salads.
- Cavatappi: It’s fun to say and fun to eat. Those ridged swirls capture tons of sauce and I don’t know if it’s just me, but there is no other pasta that captures the al dente texture (which happens to be perfect for pasta salads) like Cavatappi.
- Mezze penne: This is a smaller version (about half the size) of regular penne pasta.
Don’t change the sauce but experiment with vegetables
The sauce is perfection so don’t mess with perfection by changing the dressing ingredients, but feel free to experiment with the veggies depending on what’s in your fridge or on sale at your local grocery store. Here are a few variations that I’ve tried.
- Bell peppers: Instead of using a whole green pepper, try adding color to the pasta by trying 1/2 red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper or orange bell pepper and 1/2 green pepper. My kids love mini sweet peppers so sometimes I’ll add thinly sliced mini pepper rings for a slightly sweeter variation.
- Celery: Add two stalks of chopped celery for added crunch.
- Carrots: Add a cup of shredded carrots. I buy pre-shredded carrots at the grocery store and give them a rough chop to keep it nice and easy.
- Cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes: Add a cup of halved cherry tomatoes for added color and fresh Summer flavor.
- Peas: Add 1/2 cup of cooked and cooled peas for added protein and color.
- Red onion or green onions: Add color to this recipe by swapping the onion for red onion. Red onion can have a slightly spicy taste and sometimes a little sweeter taste depending on the particular onion. That said, the difference isn’t easily detected when smothered in pasta sauce. While it may not change the taste, a pretty dish always seems like it tastes better. At least that’s what my kids say. You could also use chopped green onions. The white portion has a delicious onion flavor and the green part adds bright green color.
- Fresh herbs: Garnish with a sprinkle of chopped herbs like fresh parsley.
Preparation and storage tips
- Mom’s macaroni (or bow tie) salad should be refrigerated for at least two hours prior to serving but a little extra time goes a long way because it allows the flavors to blend and soak into the pasta. Ideally, I’d recommend making the pasta salad 6-24 hours prior to serving. If I’m making it gluten-free, I refrigerate closer to 6 hours prior to serving to avoid mushy GF pasta.
- You can store this pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
What’s in Mom’s macaroni (or bow tie) salad?
- Macaroni, small shell pasta or bow tie pasta. To make this recipe gluten free use a gluten free pasta. My favorite isTinkyada. The texture holds up when covered in the creamy sauce.
- Hard boiled eggs
- Onion
- Green pepper
- Mayo
- Yellow mustard
- Apple cider vinegar
- Milk or plant-based milk
- Sugar
- Black pepper
- Salt
Looking for more tasty BBQ side dishes? 2 Sisters has you covered.
Mom’s Macaroni (or bow tie) Salad
Ingredients
- 12 ounces dried macaroni, small shell pasta or bow tie pasta To make this recipe gluten free use a gluten free pasta. My favorite is Tinkyada. The texture holds up when covered in the creamy sauce.
- 3 eggs Hard boiled, peeled and chopped
- ½ onion Finely chopped
- 1 green pepper Chopped
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon milk or plant-based milk
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- â…› teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Prepare the pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain and rinse with cold water. Allow the cooked pasta to sit in the colander for at least 30 minutes prior to making the macaroni salad to ensure any excess water has been drained.
- While the pasta cooks, combine the mayo, mustard, apple cider vinegar, milk, sugar, pepper and salt in a small bowl. Stir until thoroughly combined using a whisk.
- Combine the pasta, chopped hard boiled eggs, onion, green pepper and sauce in a large bowl and toss.
- Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.
- Garnish with fresh herbs. Parsley, chives or basil are my favorites (optional).
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