Pioneer Woman Pasta Salad

This Pioneer Woman pasta salad is a wonderful combination of macaroni, bell peppers, olives, and more, all enrobed in a creamy dressing. The dressing includes mayonnaise, vinegar, pickle juice, and sugar to make a truly addictive pasta salad to serve with any summer meal.

Pioneer Woman Pasta Salad Recipe

This Pioneer Woman pasta salad is the best as it has a mixture of textures and flavors. It contains macaroni, mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, milk, spicy/sweet pickles, black olives, roasted red peppers (you can use pimentos instead!), and green onions. Many of these ingredients might be ones that you already have in your pantry.

What is the Pasta Salad Dressing Made Of?

The dressing for this pasta salad includes mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, milk, pickle juice, and a few seasonings like salt and black pepper. The sauce is combined with black olives, pickles, and chopped onions for some varying color and flavor. However, you can also add some lemon juice or oregano to the pasta salad sauce to enhance its flavor if you like.

Is it Best to Make Pasta Salad the Day Before?

Yes, it's best to prepare the pasta salad the day before you plan to serve it. Some time in the fridge will allow the pasta to absorb all of the flavors from the sauce, resulting in a more delicious pasta salad. This pasta salad will last in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, so you can prepare it on the weekend and eat it on Tuesday.

Can Kids Eat This Pioneer Woman Pasta Salad?

Yes, this is a kid-friendly pasta salad made with simple ingredients that many children enjoy. However, if you know that your child wouldn't enjoy ingredients like black olives, you could leave them out. Meanwhile, on the other hand, if you would like your kids to eat more vegetables, you can add some extra ones to the salad. Cucumbers and sundried tomatoes are both great choices.

Pioneer Woman Pasta Salad Ingredients

• 4 cups elbow macaroni (or your favorite pasta)
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp vinegar 
• 3 tsp sugar, or more or less to taste
• ¼ tsp salt, or more to taste
• ½ tbsp black pepper
• ¼ cup milk, or more if needed
• Splash of pickle juice, or more to taste
• 3 whole roasted red peppers, or more to taste (can also use pimentos)
• ½ cup black olives, finely chopped
• 6 sweet/spicy pickle slices, diced
• 3 green onions, sliced 

How to Make Pioneer Woman Pasta Salad

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions in lightly salted water. 
2. Drain the pasta and rinse it with cold water to cool. Set aside.
3. In a bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. 
4. Whisk in the milk, adding more if needed to make the dressing a pourable consistency. 
5. Add pickle juice for extra flavor. Adjust seasonings if necessary and set the dressing aside.
6. In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta and ¾ of the dressing. Toss and add more dressing as desired. The dressing will seem thin at first, but once the salad cools, it will thicken considerably.
7. Add the roasted red peppers (or pimentos), olives, pickles, and green onions to the pasta salad and toss until combined.
8. Feel free to add more of any ingredient if you like.
9. Garnish the pasta salad with green onions to serve. Serve the pasta salad warm or cold.

How Long Can Pasta Salad Last in the Fridge?

Pasta salad can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. It is important that you let the leftover pasta salad cool enough to reach room temperature before refrigerating it. Once this is done, you can place it in airtight containers and put them in the fridge.

Can You Freeze Pasta Salad?

Yes, you can freeze your pasta salad for up to 2 months. First, allow the pasta salad to cool before dividing it into portions. Then, divide the pasta salad between freezer bags and extract air as much as you can, before closing the bags and freezing them. It is a good idea to label the date you froze the pasta salad on the freezer bags.

Can you freeze pasta salad with mayo? Yes, you can freeze your pasta salad with and without mayo.

Can chicken macaroni salad be frozen? Yes, pasta salad that contains chicken can be frozen and it will last about 2 weeks.

How to Thaw Frozen Pasta Salad

You can thaw frozen pasta salad in the fridge and it will take about 24 to 36 hours until completely thawed. The fridge method is the most recommended way to safely thaw frozen pasta salad since it helps preserve texture and taste.

You can still thaw frozen pasta quickly in warm water. Just fill a large container with warm water (not boiled), and place the frozen pasta salad in the water for 2 to 3 hours.

At room temperature, frozen pasta salad will take between 5 to 8 hours to completely defrost.

How to Reheat Pasta Salad the Right Way

If desired, you can heat your leftover pasta salad in the oven at 350 F for about 15 to 20 minutes. However, you can still warm pasta salad in the microwave or in an air fryer if you like.

• Reheat in the Oven: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the pasta salad in a baking dish covered with foil. Reheat for 15 to 20 minutes or until it reaches 165 F. Remove the pasta salad from the oven, add some mayonnaise, and serve and enjoy.
• Reheat in the Microwave: First, place your pasta salad on a microwave-safe plate. Warm for 2 minutes, stir, and reheat again for 1 minute. If it hasn't heated through, heat for 30 seconds at a time until the pasta salad is heated through.
• Reheat in the Air Fryer: Set up the air fryer at 350 F. Place the leftover pasta salad in a bowl and cover it with aluminum foil. Place it in the air fryer basket reheat it for 7 minutes. Stir the pasta and reheat again for 2 to 3 minutes until it reaches 165 F.

Tips You Need to Know While Reheating Pasta Salad

• Add more mayonnaise before warming your pasta salad. 
• You should thaw the frozen pasta salad before reheating it.
• Use foil in the oven or in the air fryer to prevent the pasta from drying out.
• Warm the pasta salad until it reaches 165 F.

What to Serve With Pioneer Woman Pasta Salad

I like to serve this Pioneer Woman pasta salad with hot dishes such as chili, soups, Beef Stew, or chicken pot pie. It can also work well with Cheese Balls, broccoli rice casserole, or French Onion Soup.

Here is a list of side dishes that can work well with Pioneer Woman pasta salad:

• Potato Salad
• Brisket Recipe Oven Pioneer Woman
• Deer Tenderloin On The Stove
• Chicken Cacciatore Recipe Ina Garten
• Pioneer Woman Sloppy Joes
• Pioneer Woman Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole

Pioneer Woman Pasta Salad

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Additional Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

This Pioneer Woman pasta salad is a wonderful combination of macaroni, bell peppers, olives, and more, all enrobed in a creamy dressing. The dressing includes mayonnaise, vinegar, pickle juice, and sugar to make a
truly addictive pasta salad to serve with any summer meal.

Print

Ingredients

• 4 cups elbow macaroni (or your favorite pasta)
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 3 tsp sugar, or more or less to taste
• ¼ tsp salt, or more to taste
• ½ tbsp black pepper
• ¼ cup milk, or more if needed
• Splash of pickle juice, or more to taste
• 3 whole roasted red peppers, or more to taste (can also use pimentos)
• ½ cup black olives, finely chopped
• 6 sweet/spicy pickle slices, diced
• 3 green onions, sliced

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions in lightly salted water. 
2. Drain the pasta and rinse it with cold water to cool. Set aside.
3. In a bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. 
4. Whisk in the milk, adding more if needed to make the dressing a pourable consistency. 
5. Add pickle juice for extra flavor. Adjust seasonings if necessary and set the dressing aside.
6. In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta and ¾ of the dressing. Toss and add more dressing as desired. The dressing will seem thin at first, but once the salad cools, it will thicken considerably.
7. Add the roasted red peppers (or pimentos), olives, pickles, and green onions to the pasta salad and toss until combined.
8. Feel free to add more of any ingredient if you like.
9. Garnish the pasta salad with green onions to serve. Serve the pasta salad warm or cold.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 317Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 434mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 3gSugar: 6gProtein: 6g