Macaroni salad is a cool and refreshing beloved staple, and with this recipe I bring you a delightful mix of peas and crisp pancetta coupled with the bright flavors of lemon and thyme!
Macaroni Salad, a Scrumptious Fair Weather Friend
When I think of a spread fit for the warmer seasons, I simply cannot imagine it without a delicious macaroni salad. Don't we all just love to reach for a big creamy and cool spoonful?
Sometimes, however, macaroni salad can be a wee bit on the heavy side and quite rich. But, there's a simple and flavorful solution to that, and it involves a few super flavorful ingredients: zippy lemon, pretty green peas, fresh and fragrant thyme, and crisp pancetta.
What lemon offers is a wonderful tanginess, and when used in combination with an herb such as thyme in a creamy dressing base for the macaroni salad, it cuts through the richness and allows for a bit more “brightness” to come through.
Petite green peas offer a little something fresh and green under tooth, offering up a bit of extra texture and nice color.
But the special little unexpected gourmet twist? A sprinkling of crisp pancetta, which gives this particular macaroni salad recipe a slightly salty bite.
The results of this tasty combo of ingredients is a lighter, fresher and more flavorful macaroni salad to offer up!
How to Make Macaroni Salad
Preparing a delectable macaroni salad is as easy as adding all of the ingredients into your bowl and mixing together, then allowing the salad to absorb all of those delicious flavors while it chills in the fridge.
Here's a quick overview of how I prepare my macaroni salad:
- To begin, I cook my little ditalini pasta (my favorite kind of pasta for this recipe) according to package instructions; then, I drain and rinse the pasta under cold water.
- While my pasta is cooking, I prepare my creamy dressing by adding all of my ingredients to a food processor and processing until smooth and well blended (you could also whisk the ingredients).
- To assemble my macaroni salad, I add all of my ingredients to a large bowl, toss together, then turn out into a serving dish; I garnish, and keep the salad cold in the fridge until ready to serve.
This is bright and creamy macaroni salad is sure to be a crowd pleaser, and a bit of a scrumptious departure from the more traditional version! 😉
Tips & Tidbits for my Macaroni Salad:
- Ditalini for dainty pasta: I use a pasta called "ditalini" (Italian: "small thimbles"), and you should be able to find it in most grocery stores; however, if you can't, just substitute small elbow pasta.
- Crisping pancetta: If you can find pre-diced pancetta, then use that; otherwise, just finely dice the pancetta, then give it a crisp in a hot pan for a few minutes.
- Prep ahead of time: You can easily prepare the salad a day ahead, and keep it in the fridge—as a matter of fact, it'll take on even more flavor!
- Lighten things up even more: If you'd like to go a even lighter, or use less mayo, you can sub plain, Greek yogurt for half of the amount of mayo in the dressing.
- Food processor to make your process easier: Blending the dressing in the food processor is the quickest and easiest way to prep the dressing; but if you don't have one, no worries, just add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk until blended.
Feast your eyes on these, or just jump to the recipe:
Recipe
Macaroni Salad
by Ingrid Beer
Category: Salad
Cuisine: American
Yield: Serves 6
Nutrition Info: 517 calories
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Macaroni Salad Ingredients:
• 12 oz salad-size macaroni pasta, cooked according to package instructions and cooled
• 1 cup frozen petite peas, thawed
• 4 ounces diced and crisped pancetta
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, for garnish
Dressing Ingredients:
• ¾ cup mayo
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 ½ tablespoons lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons agave
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon whole grain Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
-To begin, cook your pasta according to package instructions; drain and rinse under cold water.
-While the pasta cooks, prepare your dressing: add all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor, and process the mixture until thick and completely creamy; or, whisk all ingredients in a medium bowl until blended; keep cold.
-To assemble the macaroni salad: add the cooked and cooled macaroni to a large bowl, and add in the thawed petite peas and the diced, crisped pancetta; toss well with the dressing, then spoon into a serving bowl, and garnish with the thyme leaves; chill for an hour or two, and serve cold.
Hungry for more tasty salad recipes? Check out this Italian Pasta Salad, this Lemon-Basil Pasta Salad, or this Macaroni Salad with Spring Vegetables!
Cook's Note: This recipe was originally published in 2013, has been updated with even more love!
MC
The size and shape of pasta makes such a difference to me,so I love that you used the little cylinder-shaped kind (to be technical about it, ha!) I too love lemons in spring and summer- they really do wake everything up! I am collecting summer recipes for our big RV trip out west and this one is definitely going in the collection. Thanks for sharing!
The Cozy Apron
Oh, that's awesome MC! Thanks so much...I really hope you all enjoy this recipe, and that you have a wonderful and rejuvenating RV trip!!
Ashley @CenterCutCook
This looks delicious! I am always on the hunt for the next great pasta salad. Love your idea to use pancetta!
The Cozy Apron
Hey Ashley, thank you!
Caroline
I'm so happy to have found your site! I love it! I saw this gorgeous salad on tastespotting and had to click over immediately! This salad looks so delicious! I love the bits of pancetta along with the peas in that creamy lemony dressing! I'll be making this very soon!
The Cozy Apron
Thank you for your kind words, Caroline; I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Teresa
I made this today (without the pancetta) and it is delicious! My 7 yr old is gobbling it up!
The Cozy Apron
Aw, Teresa - that's precious! I LOVE it when the kids enjoy the recipes, too! Thanks for coming back to share with me...
Grace
I made this pasta salad last night and absolutely LOVED it! I luckily had some leftovers, so I added roasted chicken and it's made the perfect lunch today. Thanks so much for sharing, I'll be making this over & over this summer ... perfectly fresh and tasty.
The Cozy Apron
That sounds like an absolutely perfect lunch idea, Grace! So glad you enjoyed this little ditty...and thank you for your comments!
Alex
Ok I’ve been making this for a few years now because it was so good. But looked up the recipe today and you seem to have replaced the sugar with agave? I don’t have enough agave on hand and am making it for a party. Is it the same qty for the sugar?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Alex! I've got the original quantity of sugar for you. It is 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons.
Hope that helps, and I'm so glad to read that you've been enjoying this salad!
Peggy
Just made this the other day for a family get-together! I had just cut down some homemade pancetta (it's been hanging and taking up space in our fridge for about 2 months!) and it was the perfect way to use it! Definitely something we'll be making again and again =)
The Cozy Apron
You make homemade pancetta, Peggy? Wow-wee! Am I impressed. That must have tasted exquisite....and I'm so glad to hear that the recipe ended up being worthy of using it, haha! 😉 Thanks for stopping by to share, my friend...
Katie
I found this recipe on Pinterest and decided to try it for a 4th of July BBQ I am hosting tomorrow. I picked it for the colors and because it is a more "grown up" mac salad. The salad is fantastic! I love the bright lemon flavor with the sweetness of the peas and saltiness of the pancetta. It's so good I'm having a hard time staying out of it! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
The Cozy Apron
Aw, I love that Katie! I'm always tickled when someone decides to use one of my recipes for a special occasion, or for something they're hosting. Please have a wonderful 4th of July celebration tomorrow, and be sure to leave at least a little of the macaroni salad for the guests, heehee! 🙂
Jenni
You are so very right about lemon brightening up everything it touches! I loved your post and the addition of lemo to your pasta salad. I'll be trying that trick the next time I make it. And come to think of it, maybe when I make my next potato salad, too! =)
Heide M.
Will have to try this.
Dawn
Made this salad today!!! Yuuuuuuum!! I did make a few little changes. I substituted half of the mayo with fat free Greek yogurt and I used fresh shelled peas...loved the fresh crunch these added! Awesome recipe, thanks for sharing
The Cozy Apron
Great substitutions, Dawn! So happy you enjoyed...
Rubyredlight
Yummmmm! I made this for the Forth of July today...amazing! Thank you so much for sharing!
The Cozy Apron
My pleasure! I'm glad this little salad got to be a tasty part of your 4th of July festivities!
Lisa
I made this yesterday and I thought it was delicious!! I love the lemon and thyme combination. Thanks for the recipe. 🙂
The Cozy Apron
Thanks, Lisa!
Cindi
Made this last night and it was really good....makes a lot, though! I'm freezing half of it just to see how well it does in the freezer.
Tami
This was delicious! Made yesterday for BBQ with friends and everyone loved it. We just had some leftover for lunch and thought I should let you know it was a huge success! I did use bacon instead since had an open package from earlier in week. It was so good, im planning to make it again next weekend for a family BBQ 🙂
The Cozy Apron
Tami, thank you so much for sharing that with me! And please enjoy our family BBQ next weekend - so thrilled to have my pasta salad be a part of that! 😉
Becky
Could you please tell me the name of the pasta shape you used? It's so pretty in the salad. Thanks! 🙂
The Cozy Apron
Thanks Becky! My box only said "salad macaroni" on it, but I found that the name is "Ditalini", and it looks like Barilla brand has that type of pasta (the small, tube-shaped kind). Hope you enjoy!
Becky
Thank you so much! I'm going to make it for a party this weekend!
Rohna
I made this salad tonight and it was so, so good! I am having a hard time staying out of the refrigerator! The pancetta is a perfect touch. Thanks for the great recipe.
Beth
I am definitely going to try this! However, I am going to use asparagus spears instead of peas. Should go well with the pancetta. Thanks for the recipe! Always looking for new things to have in the summer.
Christa
I am in love! So many of my faourite things! Would it be wrong to eat this everyday?
Ann
To Becky - I have used this pasta several times and it is called Ditalini. I hope this helps 🙂 Also, I love this pasta salad as well.
Beth Sowell
The photos for this recipe made it look so tasty I had to try it. Unfortunately, I tried to healthy it up by using greek yogurt instead of mayo. This swap out almost always works, but this time, it made the dressing much to tangy to me. I'm going to try it again with mayo. 🙁
The Cozy Apron
Hi Beth! Yes, I suspect the dressing was quite tangy with the lemon and all; I smiled at your comment, as I usually try to "healthy" things up myself - but in this case, the mayo is really the best way to go. 😉
Jill
This salad rocks!! My husband almost ate the entire batch! I'm lucky I even got a few bites. Amazing flavor and yet so light. Thank you!
The Cozy Apron
Jill, thanks so much for sharing that with me - on one hand, I was thrilled that the hubby really enjoyed it so much (we know how important that is, right?), but on the other hand, I felt kinda bad that you only got some scraps, haha! 🙂 Anyway, so happy this was a success for you!
Rocky Mountain Nurse
I made this tonight. It is delicious! I made 1/2 recipe, subbed bacon bits for the pancetta, and added 1 pound of chilled shrimp. I did not halve the dressing, due to the addition of the shrimp. The dressing is fabulous. Served it with garlic toast. I loved it.
The Cozy Apron
Ooh, that sounds delish! Perfect substitutions/additions for this particular salad, as this dressing is lemony and a bit tangy—great with shrimp! Thanks for sharing your experience with me.
Jo
I found this on Pinterest posted by Carson Kressley. It sounds fabulous! Will try this weekend.
Banana Woman
Hi- this looks amazing and we'll be having this for dinner tonight. I was just wondering if you had any awesome ideas on what to serve it with? I have a fussy 1 year old, 3 year old and 27 year old to feed 😉 Thanks so much!
The Cozy Apron
Hi there! If you want to keep things really simple, you could just get a rotisserie chicken at your local market—that way you have some extra protein without having to prepare anything else, and it should keep the picky eaters fairly happy! 😉
Natasha Price
I found your recipe last year and it has become my family's absolute favorite macaroni salad. It is now a staple at all large family gatherings. I made it again last night for our Memorial Day BBQ and was reminded how much I love love love it.
Thank you for sharing it!
-Natasha
The Cozy Apron
Natasha, how sweet of you to share that! I'm so honored to have this salad be a "staple" item at your family gatherings—it's the perfect way to enjoy it! 🙂 Thank you very much for your kind comments, and for bringing one of my recipes into your family circle.
Lisa@The Cutting Edge of Ordinary
I am planning on adding this to my 4th of July menu. I have one question. Do you think I could heavily whisk the dressing ingredients instead of using a food processor?
The Cozy Apron
You absolutely can, Lisa! The processor is just a super easy way to throw everything in at once and not have to use any of your own "elbow grease"; but honestly, not that much is actually needed for this dressing, anyway. Happy whisking! 🙂
Mardi
This looks so lovely and refreshing. If I don't have access to fresh thyme and therefore can't garnish, how much dried thyme should I add to the dressing?
The Cozy Apron
Thanks Mardi! You know, you could still garnish with a sprinkle of dried thyme, no problem at all. And as far as the amount for the dressing, typically, it's said that one should use about half the amount of dry herbs to fresh, so use about 1/2 teaspoon (or a pinch more, there's no harm) in place of the fresh. Enjoy!
Melissa
I made this today.....used thick cut bacon, cooked well done & crumbled & a tad more fresh lemon. DELICIOUS!!!!!!!i will be making this again!!!!
The Cozy Apron
Melissa, that sounds delicious!! Happy you enjoyed this recipe, and thank you for sharing your experience with me.
Maureen
Just made this. It is delicious. We ate 1/2 of it "taste testing". Will definitely make next time I entertain.
The Cozy Apron
Maureen, that's precious! 🙂 Very happy you enjoyed this! Thanks for sharing…
Janet
I have two family members that are allergic to Mayo. Any ideas for a mayo substitute that would also be dairy-free (no yogurt)?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Janet! Thanks for your question. There's a product called "Veganaise" that is a vegan, non-dairy mayo substitute, and you can easily use that. It's sold at Whole Foods Market and Sprouts—perhaps other markets, as well, in their vegan section. Enjoy!
LAur
Do you cook the peas?
The Cozy Apron
Hi there! No, they're good to go; they're blanched prior to being frozen, so once thawed, they're perfectly fine to add just as they are.
Carol brooks
I served this to a large 4th of July BBQ. Everyone raved about this mac salad--this is a keeper.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Carol, I'm so excited to read that! Thanks for sharing my recipe with your loved ones at your celebration, and thank you for taking a moment to let me know what your experience was!
Carly
This recipe looks amazing! I'd love to whip this up to bring to my friend's housewarming cookout, but I don't own a food processor. Any suggestion for getting the dressing right without one?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Carly, you can very easily prepare the dressing in a larger bowl using a whisk to blend everything up—the processor just makes it easier, but it's absolutely not necessary. Hope you enjoy for the housewarming cookout!
Alli Hedden
I just submitted a similar question and then spotted this, so no need to answer my last one. Thanks! I look forward to making it tonight.
Hannah
This is now my go to side dish for any BBQ I attend and it always gets rave reviews!! The last time I made it I used Rosemary and Dill instead of Thyme just to mix it up and I loved it! Thank you thank you thank you for such a fun and original recipe that makes me seem like a great cook 🙂
The Cozy Apron
Hannah, that's so very, very sweet! And I'm sure you are a great cook—look at you making your own substitutions with the dill and rosemary! 🙂 So happy that you've been enjoying this summer salad recipe, and thanks for letting me know!
Karen
Just wanted to let you know that this was a big hit! We have been eating this all summer long, and just can't get enough of it! Now, at our house, when we say "macaroni salad", this recipe is what we mean.
The Cozy Apron
Karen, that is absolutely precious to me, and I thank you for sharing that! So happy you've been enjoying this macaroni salad this past summer season!
Carolyn Dallara
Sounds yummy but how do you crisp the pancetta?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Carolyn, you crisp it the way you would bacon, in a hot pan. Hope that helps!
Colleen
I made this last year for a BBQ and repeated again this year for a different crowd. Both times I have received many complements and had people ask me to send the recipe. I would add another 1/2 c of peas the next time I make it. The dressing is really perfect.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Colleen, I'm thrilled that this recipe is getting such good reviews from the folks you're serving it to! How exciting, and thank you for sharing that with me! I love to read that. Thank you for your comments!
Shannon
This salad is a great salad to make during the hot and humid days of summer. I love it!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Shannon! So glad you enjoyed it! We just made a batch at our house, too. 🙂
Heidi
I'm wondering how slivered sun dried tomato (the oil packed ones from Trader Joes) will be in it . . .
The Cozy Apron
Hi Heidi! Could be very good—try them!! 🙂
Lindsey W.
This salad was AMAZING!! I want that Lemon Thyme Dressing on everything. I could not for the life of me find Pancetta at the store that day, so I substituted ham and it was still fantastic. Can't wait to make it again, this time with Pancetta as intended.
The Cozy Apron
Haha, thanks so much, Lindsey! Great substitution, by the way. Very glad that you're enjoying the salad, AND the dressing so much! 🙂 Thank you for your comments.
BECKY
I grew up in the South and pasta salad was always on hand with new recipes. The recipes are from all over everywhere. Just depends on your mood. It's hard to kill pasta except by overcooking. I'm old enough to remember Europe on $5 a day. We ate in the cafes where the locals ate everywhere. Lots of pasta all over. YUM! You just added another recipe to the collection and my lunch tomorrow.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Becky, thanks for your comment, and I hope you enjoy this pasta salad!
Eileen Shelton
I've discovered this recipe 2 years ago. Family and friends have loved this. It's my go to summer pasta salad. ( all seasons really). Such a refreshing taste. Love it.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Eileen, thanks so much for letting me know! I'm thrilled you've been enjoying this little salad, finding some comfort in it, and sharing with loved ones. ❤️
Tracey Chiappe
Should i double the recipe forn22 people as a side dish?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Tracey! For 22 people, I might even just triple it to be sure. I would get 2 pounds of the macaroni pasta (or 32 ounces, which is just a hair under triple as the recipe calls for 12 ounces for 6), and triple the dressing. It's really tasty, and I'd hate for you to not have enough! Better safe than sorry. Hope you (and the other 21) enjoy!
Mary
my family is not a fan of thyme, can you suggest a substitute?.. thank you
The Cozy Apron
Hi Mary, no problem at all! I would tell you to just use what you know you all like; I'd go with either parsley, or basil, or maybe even some chives. Hope you enjoy!
Roseanne Sabol
Hello there, Dear Ingrid.
I’m hosting a small (4 people) art class tomorrow and couldn’t figure what to serve with a cucumber soup so decided to search your archives. I’m going to serve this alongside and think I may need to hide it so Darling Daughter doesn’t scarf it down! We so love anything with lemon so I can’t wait.
xo
The Cozy Apron
Hi sweet Roseanne, if you love lemon, then I think you will definitely enjoy this recipe—good choice!
Your gathering sounds so cozy & fun, and I hope you all have a spectacular time together! How creative.
Sending lots of love...xo
Roseanne
Okay, Ingrid....this was a HUGE hit! The lemon is such a refreshing and surprising change of pace for pasta salads. One of my friends said she rarely eats pasta salad but really enjoyed this one. I absolutely loved it. A question...in many of my other recipes, I have been subbing 1/2 yogurt 1/2 mayo. What do you think? Too potentially tart? I may just leave well-enough alone. So yummy.
Take good care. L, R
The Cozy Apron
Oh, I'm so happy to read that! I was hoping you'd let me know how the group received it. 😉
You and I are both big fans of lemon and "tang", so your combo of mayo and yogurt (1/2 and 1/2) is not too much in my opinion; I actually have a really delicious sauce for my Shrimp Taco recipe (the "awesome sauce") that uses that ratio, and it's really good.
I personally think "tang" is important when it comes to creamy sauces (even soups); I made this Lemon Chicken Salad using only yogurt plus lemon and herbs for a "lightened up" chicken salad as well.
I'd say always use your preference. If you like the mayo/yogurt combo (I love it), use it. All you have is your own palate at the end of the day!
Much love...
Stephanie
I just have to tell you that this is my favorite recipe OF ALL TIME!! And that’s saying something bc I have been cooking since I was a young girl and now I’m 35 and do it for a living. I discovered this recipe when you first published it years ago and now I must confess it’s “my” signature recipe. If I show up to a social gathering in the spring or summer without it I’m in trouble! So thank you for developing thIs wonderful pasta salad. Everything about it absolutely perfect!
The Cozy Apron
Stephanie, thank you so much for sharing that with me! I'm so very touched you've been enjoying this tasty little warm weather staple, and that you take it with you for many of your own gatherings.
May you and your loved ones continue to gain some "culinary pleasure" out of it!
Kristin
I LOVE this recipe, and every time I take it somewhere, I am asked for the recipe. This is my go-to potluck pasta salad!
The Cozy Apron
Kristin, I'm thrilled to read that!
It's an honor to know that this is your go-to, and let me tell you, it's truly the best compliment to know that you get asked for the recipe. For me, it's all about sharing the love, and it makes my heart happy to know you're having success with this tasty little pasta salad and others are enjoying it as well. 🙂
Susan
I made this for a pitch-in summer concert picnic, and oh my it was a hit! I wanted to bring a "traditional" picnic food, but elevated. This was the ticket! I had to use bacon instead of pancetta b/c my local grocery was out (only one grocery in my tiny town), but no one complained 😉 Thanks for a special recipe that my friends all begged for (and I happily obliged).
The Cozy Apron
Susan, thanks so much for coming back to share your experience with me! I'm thrilled the recipe was such a success for you, and enjoyed by all. Makes my heart very happy. 🙂
And I'm also very grateful that you shared the recipe with friends who asked about it. It is an ultimate compliment, and I truly appreciate you sharing the love. I hope you enjoy this cool macaroni salad for a long time to come. Happy cooking Susan!
Susan Kent
We're headed to a summer concert with a group of friends this weekend, and I was asked to bring the food for our group. The whole menu is built around bringing this macaroni salad. It is THAT GOOD. I'm making a double recipe even though there are just 8 of us - I learned my lesson at the last picnic. This will be the star of the show! I rarely make things more than once, as I love trying new recipes. But this one is such a mega hit every time I make it, and my family can't go more than a month or two without asking for it. Thank you again for such a lovely recipe!
The Cozy Apron
Susan, wow, what a lovely comment! You made my afternoon with this, and I am so very glad to read that this little macaroni salad has been such a beloved favorite for some time now. (And yes, terrific idea to double the recipe, as it does tend to disappear quickly! 🙂 )
May you all continue to enjoy this summer time favorite for a long time to come, and I thank you for taking the time to let me know that you've had such success with it. Happy cooking to you, Susan!