When I make macaroni salad how can I keep mayo from absorbing into pasta?

Question

It seems no matter what I do I can't get the pasta from absorbing the mayo. I've tried letting it get semi-cold and I've tried coating the pasta with a "layer" of mayo putting it in the fridge and after it has cooled add the rest of the mayo. Any tips?

Answer 1

Make sure the macaroni is cooled down before adding mayo, it will absorb less.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

Use a little less mayo, than you're using, and really stir the salad, gently. Refrigerate it, immediately. Then stir it again, just prior to serving it. Macaroni Salad is one my favorite foods! But KFC doesn't offer it, these days, and not many other places do, either. I'd love to have some, this week!

Answer 4

I usually make sure the pasta is very cold, and then coat all of it with a little bit of olive oil. Let that soak in for a few minutes, and then add the mayo, so it won't be absorbed, with the extra olive oil as a shield.

Answer 5

First, make sure you really drain your pasta well,this is very important as you want your pasta as dry as can be.
Then make sure it is chilled for at least 30 to 60 minutes in the fridge,(it needs to be very cold).
Then after all that,add your mayo and other ingredients,BUT,just make sure they are all chilled before appling to your pasta.You can also try other pasta such as ,rototilli,wagon wheels,spirals which these will only allow so much mayo to cling to them. Hope this helps you.

Answer 6

I cool macaroni and add my chopped vegetables, rinse with cold water. Put all this in my salad spinner spin and let drain't. Add 4 tablespoons of mayo and 11/2 tablespoons of sour cream
, mix together. Put macaroni and vegetables in bowl mix in mayo mixture, cover and refrigerate

Answer 7

Coat the hot pasta with a LITTLE olive oil. Mix the mayo in last, after the onions, olives, or whatever you add to your noodle salad. Use only Best Foods or Hellman's mayo.

Answer 8

I think using mayonnaise by itself in macaroni salad is too heavy...makes me sick. My mother-in-law gave me a recipe that I use for both macaroni and potato salad. The first listing of the ingredients are the base amounts. Double or triple each of them, dependent on how much sauce you need. I've also listed the same ingredients in measurements I use for about five pounds of potato salad (finally got tired of measuring the smaller amounts over and over again each time I made it.)

BASIC AMOUNTS
3 T mayonnaise
3 tsp sugar
3 tsp cream
3 tsp vinegar
Celery seed

INCREASED FOR 5 POUNDS POTATO SALAD
½ C + 1 T mayonnaise
scant ¼ C sugar
scant ⅛ C cream
scant ⅛ C vinegar
Celery seed

Mix ingredients well, then stir into macaroni or potato salad. LIGHTLY top with celery seed.

Hope this helps.

Answer 9

Chill your macaroni before you apply the mayonnaise...as long as the macaroni is still warm it will absorb.

Let your macaroni sit in the fridge for at least 1 hour!

Answer 10

Actually, you want the pasta to absorb the mayonnaise/sauce, that's how it picks up flavor and adds to the pasta salad.