This Cajun Macaroni Salad is anything but boring. Richly flavored with Creole mustard, cayenne pepper, and hot sauce, it’s a pasta salad that really has some kick.
Cajun Macaroni Salad is a Louisiana-style side dish that is wonderfully creamy and perfect for your next cookout. Creole mustard and red wine vinegar make it perfectly tangy.
Creole Mustard
Alot of the flavor in this recipe comes from the Creole mustard. I use Zatarain’s Creole Mustard. Creole mustard really has some kick to it. It’s a spicy whole grain mustard that typically contains horseradish and spices. You can substitute brown mustard or Dijon mustard, but it won’t taste quite the same.
Pasta Shape
No need to use elbow pasta. You can use shells, cavatappi or even wagon wheels.
Cajun Macaroni Salad Recipe Tips
It’s best to refrigerate this pasta salad for at least 30 minutes before serving so the flavors have time to blend. If mixing together more than 1 hour in advance, some of the dressing will be soaked up by the pasta and you will have to add a little more mayonnaise or some milk to it to make it creamy again.
Be sure not to overcook the pasta or the texture of the pasta will get too soft and mushy when it soaks up some of the dressing.
Make It Spicier
With 1 teaspoon of hot sauce (I use TABASCO or Zatarain’s Hot Sauce) and a 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, plus the creole mustard, this pasta salad has a nice kick. If it’s not spicy enough, add another pinch or two of cayenne pepper.
More Great Southern Sides
- Smothered Cajun Green Beans
- Creole Potato Salad
- Dirty Rice
- Stewed Okra and Tomatoes
- Southern Fried Okra
Cajun Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons Creole mustard
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 1/2 medium sweet onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
Instructions
- Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water according to package directions. Drain. Rinse with cold water and drain again. Toss with olive oil.
- While pasta cooks, stir together mayonnaise, Creole mustard, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, smoked paprika, hot sauce, cayenne pepper, and black pepper in a large bowl.Add 2 tablespoons of water and mix in.
- Stir in the cooked pasta, onion, celery, eggs, and parsley.
- Check for seasoning and add salt to taste.
- Refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.
