Macaroni Salad with Lemon and Herbs

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Macaroni Salad with Lemon and Herbs

Consider this a macaroni salad for the 21st century: Like the original, it’s a welcome accompaniment to picnic fare and pairs with virtually anything off the grill. But this version also happens to be bright, acidic and herbaceous. The traditional elements have been preserved — elbow macaroni, mayonnaise and a pinch of sugar are mandatory — but they’ve been bolstered by bright flavors: lemon zest, tangy capers and pickles, crunchy celery and tons of fresh herbs. It goes lighter on mayonnaise than the original, swapping in tangy buttermilk for a dressing that is more glossy than gloopy. It can be served straight from the fridge or at room temperature. A splash of water stirred in restores its silky sheen.

Rating

Ingredients

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 2/3cup minced bread-and-butter pickles
  • 2large stalks celery, peeled and finely chopped
  • 4scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
  • 1/2cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2cup buttermilk (see Tip)
  • 1/3cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley, plus more for garnish
  • 1/4cup chopped fresh dill, plus small sprigs for garnish
  • 1/4cup drained jarred capers, chopped, plus 3 tablespoons caper brine
  • 4teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1teaspoon fresh lemon zest and 4 teaspoons juice (from 1 large lemon)
  • 1teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 16ounces elbow macaroni
Set base servings to enable scaling:

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high.

While the water comes to a boil, prepare your dressing: In a large bowl, stir together pickles, celery, scallions, mayonnaise, buttermilk, parsley, dill, capers and brine, mustard, lemon zest and juice, and sugar. Season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.

Cook the macaroni in the boiling water until al dente, about 6 minutes; drain well and let cool for a few minutes.

Once cooled, toss macaroni with dressing, season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately or refrigerate until chilled. Top with extra scallions, parsley and dill to garnish just before serving.

Notes

If you want to streamline the ingredient list, you could skip the buttermilk, increase the mayonnaise to ¾ cup and use ¼ cup milk.

Nutrition

Info
Trans Fat: 0 gramsFat: 8 gramsCalories: 227Saturated Fat: 1 gramUnsaturated Fat: 7 gramsSodium: 260 milligramsSugar: 4 gramsFiber: 2 gramsCarbohydrate: 32 gramsProtein: 6 grams
Salads

Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021095-macaroni-salad-with-lemon-and-herbs