I grew up in NY and we love our delis. I mean, really, love delis. There are two basic and important kinds: Jewish and Italian. They both are similar, but feature some different types of specialties - one of which is the Macaroni Salad. I have no idea if it started in a Jewish deli or an Italian one, but I think these days you can find it in either.
Some variations have a whiter, more sour sauce - others, like this one, have a pinkish, sweet and tangy sauce. That's my favorite kind. I have spent YEARS since moving away from NY trying to figure out how to make it. I had no idea what the secret to the recipe was, or what flavor it was that I was missing, but a few tweaks to this fantastic recipe from The Comfort of Cooking and I finally got it!
Every time I have made it, I loved it even more. I will say this about the recipe though, it makes A LOT of macaroni. So its great for a party or a pot luck, but not the easiest thing to get through if you just make it for yourself. It keeps well in the fridge though and tastes better over time.
One of the biggest determining factors in the taste of this salad is the pickles and resulting pickle juice that you choose. The original recipe recommends using a specific brand, Wickles Pickles, and I strongly urge you to do the same if you can find them. If not though, it will still taste good with some Vlasic (which I've used before as well). You want to find a sweet and sour variety.
Final note on the pickles - I buy spears and then dice them. However, before you dice up the spear, slice off the seeded, mushy parts so you just have a crisp pickle to dice up.
NY Deli Macaroni Salad
Serves 12
ingredients:
- 1 lb. elbow pasta, cooked
- 1 small jar (15 oz) or roughly 2 cups, mayo
- 2 tbs. apple cider vinegar
- 4 tsp. sugar
- Salt and Pepper
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1/3 cup Pickle juice from Sweet and Sour pickles
- 1 jar (16 oz) roasted red peppers, diced small
- 3/4 cup diced sweet and sour pickles
- 1 bunch green onions, sliced small
Whisk together the mayo, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper, milk, and pickle juice. Taste and adjust seasoning, I like to add a bit more pickle juice normally.
Stir in the peppers, pickles and green onion.
Pour over cooled macaroni and stir until evenly coated. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving for flavors to meld.