FOOD NEWS
The Difference That Sets Apart Pasta Salad From Macaroni Salad
By Dena J. DiOrio
While pasta salads can be made with any type of pasta or mixture of pastas, a macaroni salad is a pasta salad that is made specifically with elbow macaroni pasta.
Pasta salads contain a variety of savory ingredients like cured meats, hard or semi-soft cheeses, olives, nuts, beans, legumes, or sun-dried tomatoes dressed in oil and vinegar.
Macaroni salad, on the other hand, is creamier. It often has diced onions, celery, pickles or relish, bell peppers, parsley, or hard-boiled eggs tossed in a mayo-based mixture.
The origin of pasta salad is unclear, but some food historians believe the dish has Italian Jewish roots. Macaroni salad has Southern roots, but regional variations abound.