This ham pasta salad is a great side dish for parties, barbecues, and potlucks. Loaded with ham, pasta, vegetables, and combined with a creamy homemade dressing, it’s a simple, budget-friendly recipe.
Serve it at your next party with an easy coleslaw, a simple potato egg salad, or marinated tomatoes for a side dish spread your guests will love.
Pasta salad recipes are great for parties because you can make them ahead of time. They also make tasty lunches and work well as a side dish or a light dinner. Other pasta salads to try:
- Garden pasta – A cold pasta salad that’s made with rotini, tomatoes, cucumbers and a light homemade oil and vinegar dressing.
- Tortellini pasta salad – A combination of cheese tortellini, fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, salami, olives, onions, and a homemade Italian inspired dressing.
- Macaroni salad – Truly a classic, elbow macaroni combined with carrots, celery, onion, pickle, and a homemade creamy dressing.
- Chicken macaroni salad – Like the classic but with tender chicken and crispy apples.
Ingredients
- Ham – Use cooked, ready to eat ham.
- Pasta – We use ditalini pasta for this ham salad but any short pasta like elbow macaroni, small shells, farfalle, cavatappi, etc. can be used.
- Produce – Carrot, celery, green onions, frozen peas, and parsley for garnish (optional).
- Condiments – Mayonnaise, pickle relish, Dijon or yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, and sugar.
- Cheese – Shredded cheddar cheese or a combination like cheddar jack or Colby jack.
- Spices – Salt and black pepper.
- See the recipe card for quantities and preparation.
Instructions
Cook macaroni to package directions for “firm”. Go a little past al dente but not totally soft. Use a colander to drain and promptly rinse them with cold water until they are cool.
Then drain the macaroni well and transfer it to a large bowl. Add the ham, shredded cheese, peas, carrots, celery, and green onions. Cover with a lid or wrap and refrigerate until chilled.
Make the dressing: Add the mayonnaise, mustard, pickle relish, sugar, vinegar, salt, and pepper to a bowl. Stir with a fork or small whisk until the ingredients are combined and the dressing is smooth.
Refrigerate the dressing until ready to make the macaroni ham salad.
Lastly, add the dressing to the pasta and ham mixture. Stir well until combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with sliced green onions, if desired.
Recipe tips and notes
- Do not overcook the pasta. Cook until it is firm but no longer al dente.
- Rinse the pasta with cold water immediately after draining to stop the cooking process.
- Chill the macaroni, ham, and vegetables so that they are cold before dressing.
Storing instructions
Keep the ham macaroni salad chilled until ready to serve. Refrigerate leftovers as soon as possible and do not leave them out longer than 2 hours (1 hour if it is above 90 degrees Fahrenheit). Discard leftovers that have been at room temperature longer than that.
If handled properly, store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Freezing is not recommended.
For more information on food storage and safety guidelines visit U.S. Department of Agriculture and foodsafety.gov.
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Ham Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Ditalini cooked to package directions, drained, and cooled (other short pasta like elbow macaroni, small shells, etc. can be used)
- 6-7 ounces Cooked Ham diced
- ½ cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese or a combination like cheddar jack or Colby jack
- ½ cup Frozen Peas cooked to package directions, rinsed, drained, and chilled
- ¼ cup Shredded Carrot 1 small carrot
- 2 tablespoons Finely Diced Celery
- 2 tablespoons Sliced Green Onions plus extra for garnish if desired
- 1 cup Mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard or yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon Pickle Relish
- 1 tablespoon Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Salt plus 1-2 tablespoons for the macaroni cooking water (and extra at the end if needed)
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
- Cook macaroni to package directions for “firm”. Go a little past al dente but not totally soft. Use a colander to drain and promptly rinse them with cold water until they are cool.
- Then drain the macaroni well and transfer it to a large bowl. Add the ham, shredded cheese, peas, carrots, celery, and green onions. Cover with a lid or wrap and refrigerate until chilled.
- Make the dressing
- Add the mayonnaise, mustard, pickle relish, sugar, vinegar, salt, and pepper to a bowl. Stir with a fork or small whisk until the ingredients are combined and the dressing is smooth.
- Refrigerate the dressing until ready to make the macaroni ham salad.
- Lastly, add the dressing to the pasta and ham mixture. Stir well until combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with sliced green onions, if desired.
Notes
- Do not overcook the pasta. Cook until it is firm but no longer al dente.
- Cool the macaroni quickly after draining. Run it under cold water to stop the cooking. Use a colander to drain it well.
- Do not overcook the peas so they hold up to stirring. Rinse them with cold water immediately to stop the cooking.
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