Lemon and Herb Macaroni Salad
Lemon herb pasta salad is a fresh, bright twist on classic macaroni salad, tossed with plenty of herbs and a lemony dressing. It’s an easy make-ahead side for cookouts, picnics, and summer dinners.
Servings: 8
Equipment
- food processor optional
- alligator chopper optional
Ingredients
the pasta
- 1/2 lb small elbow macaroni
the veggies
- 2/3 cup minced English cucumber
- 2/3 cup minced celery, I use the inner stalks and leaves
- 1/2 cup minced sweet onion
the herbs
- 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leafy tops only, rinsed and dried
- 1/2 ounce fresh dill, rinsed and dried
- 1 small handful fresh chives (about 1/4 cup, loosely packed), rinsed and dried
the dressing
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise, I use Duke's
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice, or more to taste
- 1 tsp creamy Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, plus freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil the macaroni until al dente in plenty of well salted water. Drain and rinse under cold water, let drain well, then place in a large bowl.
- Add the minced veggies to the bowl and toss lightly.
- Slice off the upper third of the bunch of parsley, and discard the stems. Remove the thick stems from the dill. Put the parsley, dill and chives into a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse 10 times, then scrape down the sides. Pulse another 10 times and scrape again. If necessary, pulse a final 10 times to get all the herbs finely minced. Measure out 3/4 cup for the salad. You may have a bit extra; see notes below.
- Toss the herbs with the pasta and veggies.
- Whisk the dressing ingredients together and taste to adjust any of them. Add half the dressing to the pasta and toss well. Then add the rest and toss again. Note: as written the dressing will be mild. If you like you can increase the lemon zest and juice, and add extra mustard for a more intense flavor.
- Chill the macaroni salad for several hours before serving. It will keep 3-4 days, refrigerated.
Notes
Got extra herbs? Use them in scrambled eggs, a green salad or salad dressing.
Nutrition
Calories: 211 kcal · Carbohydrates: 24 g · Protein: 4 g · Fat: 11 g · Saturated Fat: 2 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 6 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 2 g · Trans Fat: 0.03 g · Cholesterol: 6 mg · Sodium: 256 mg · Potassium: 168 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 2 g · Vitamin A: 799 IU · Vitamin C: 13 mg · Calcium: 28 mg · Iron: 1 mg
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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