Authentic Hawaiian Style Pasta Salad Recipe

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Hawaiian Style Pasta Salad is my favorite cold pasta salad recipe! Picture yourself on a tropical vacation when you take a heaping serving of this pasta salad. Go ahead and give this Hawaiian Pasta Salad a try. 

Pictured Hawaiian pasta salad on white plate - with text overlay Hawaiian style pasta salad

Authentic Hawaiian Style Pasta Salad Recipe

Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time:
10 Minutes
Total Time:
40 Minutes
Servings:
8 Servings

Hawaiian Style Pasta Salad is my favorite cold pasta salad recipe!  Picture yourself on a tropical vacation when you take a heaping serving of this Homemade pasta salad. This is just a basic recipe.

You can add in a few extras, such as chopped ham or chopped pineapple. I personally like it just as is, but you can get creative. All you need is a great base or starting point. I am sure you will enjoy it as much as I do with or without all the add-ins.

The key to Hawaiian Style Macaroni Salad is in the dressing. 

The dressing is mayonnaise-based, ALWAYS using my personal favorite, Hellmann’s mayonnaise, or my delicious homemade mayo recipe (Do NOT Substitute for Miracle Whip, much too sweet) thinned with milk, soured with a bit of cider vinegar, and sweetened with brown sugar. If you honestly use any other dressing, it just will not taste the same.

I like to say that this recipe is a meal in itself or you can have it as a side. I like to have it at family get-togethers, lunch…dinner. You get my point. It is just super tasty. This salad is ridiculously simple. It is a no-frills pasta salad, yet so creamy and flavorful.

Another pasta salad that I love for a cookout is Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad. or our Best Broccoli Salad with Bacon Recipe. Either of these salads is just too good.

Let’s Get Cookin’

Please note that the full printable recipe and list of ingredients are below. Authentic Hawaiian Pasta Salad is ridiculously simple. It is a no-frills mac salad yet; it is so creamy and flavorful. I had a friend in Hawaii who was also a caterer there.

Ingredients Needed for this pasta salad

  • 1 pound elbow macaroni
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 cups mayonnaise, divided
  • 2 cups whole milk, divided
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 bunch of scallions, sliced thin (about 5-7 scallions)
  • 1 ½ cups shredded carrot
  • 1 ½ cups minced celery
  • 1 medium onion (grated fine)
Cooked elbow noodles in bowl for hawaiian pasta salad

How to Make Hawaiian Pasta Salad

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add macaroni and cook until very soft (10-12 minutes). Drain, return to the cooking pot immediately, and toss with apple cider vinegar.

 Allow the macaroni noodles to cool for 10 minutes.

peppered dressing for hawaiian pasta salad

Making the dressing

In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup of the mayonnaise, 1 ½ cups of the whole milk, the granulated sugar, salt, and pepper. Once the macaroni has cooled for 10 minutes, toss it with the mixed sauce and let it cool to room temperature.

The key difference between Hawaiian Style Macaroni Salad and our typical macaroni salad. Both styles of macaroni salad have a mayonnaise-based dressing. However, in Hawaiian Macaroni Pasta Salad, the mayo is often thinned with milk.

Chopped vegetable on cutting board - pictured carrots, green onions and celery

Once cool, fold in the scallion, carrot, onion, and celery. Don’t chop or slice the onion. Grate it. It should be almost liquid inconsistency. The grated onion will allow it to mix better with the dressing instead of being left in chunks throughout your salad.

Now you will want to whisk together the remaining 1 cup mayonnaise and ½ cup whole milk and pour over the macaroni salad. Then toss well to coat. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.

Hawaiian Pasta Salad Optional Add-Ins

  • 2 Cups Ham, Chopped
  • 1-20 Ounce Can of Pineapple Chunks, Drained

Keep in mind that once you add any of the optional ingredients above, the salad no longer becomes authentic. That is okay, because it is the taste that matters. If you prefer to add extras; I say, “Go for it!”

Next, chill in the refrigerator for 2 – 4 hours until cold. If you have the time, letting the whole dish chill overnight is even better. This is my preferred method. Fix it and forget it.

Allowing it to sit overnight in the fridge gives the dressing time to soak into the pasta. Before serving, I will usually add a little additional mayonnaise and milk. Give this recipe a try. You won’t be disappointed.

Authentic Hawaiian Style Pasta Salad Recipe

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Yield: 8 Servings

Hawaiian Style Pasta Salad

Hawaiian Pasta

Hawaiian Style Pasta Salad is my favorite cold pasta salad recipe! Picture yourself on a tropical vacation when you take a heaping serving of this pasta salad. Go ahead and give this Hawaiian Pasta Salad a try. 

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound elbow macaroni
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 cups mayonnaise, divided
  • 2 cups whole milk, divided
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 bunch scallions, sliced thin (about 5-7 scallions)
  • 1 ½ cups shredded carrot
  • 1 ½ cups minced celery
  • 1 medium onion (grated fine)

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add macaroni and cook until very soft (10-12 minutes). Drain, return to cooking pot immediately and toss with apple cider vinegar. Allow macaroni to cool for 10 minutes.
  2. In a large bowl, , whisk together 1 cup of the mayonnaise, 1 ½ cups of the whole milk, the sugar, salt, and pepper.
  3. Once the macaroni has cooled for 10 minutes, toss with the mixed sauce and let cool to room temperature.
  4. Once cool, fold in the scallion, carrot, onion, and celery. Don’t chop or slice the onion, grate it. It should be almost liquid in consistency. This will allow the onion to mix better with the dressing instead of being left in chunks throughout your salad. Whisk together the remaining 1 cup mayonnaise and ½ cup whole milk and pour over macaroni salad. Toss well to coat. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Chill in the refrigerator 2 to 4 hours until cold.

Notes

You can also let it sit overnight in the fridge. Please note you will need to add in additional mayonnaise. It will be just a tad dry from soaking into the noodles.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1 Cup

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 531Total Fat: 44gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 35gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 814mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 2gSugar: 8gProtein: 6g

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Other Great Summer Recipes

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

Stacked Double Cheeseburger With Bacon

No Churn Cookie Dough Ice Cream – Kid Friendly

Summertime Watermelon Salad Recipe

Spicy Cucumber & Tomato Salad

Eating out is easy, and it usually tastes delicious, but it’s expensive. Making this meal at home will save you money. Add this recipe to your weekly meal plan.

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5 Comments

  1. Thank you for this delicious looking recipe.
    One thing that has always bothered me about internet recipes is that every single recipe lists the number of servings instead of the total quantity made.
    How are we supposed to know what size your serving is?
    If I am making this for a party I don’t want to know servings, I want to know volume!
    Does this make a quart, 2 quarts, a gallon?

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