This Hawaii Inspired Pasta Salad is a refreshing alternative to a Hawaiian Pizza that is perfect to take to a cookout, or for a simple dinner at home with some grilled barbecued chicken.
In Hawaii, where macaroni salad is a staple when it comes to plate lunches, it’s been a long known secret that you intentionally overcook the pasta – to make it “fat”. It helps it to really soak up the sauce, and keep the pasta moist and delicious.
Why you’ll love this salad
This Hawaii Inspired Pasta Salad makes a large batch that is perfect to take to a cookout. Or, for a simple dinner at home with some grilled barbecued chicken. Leftovers were great too! With a little grilled tuna or chicken, and some diced fresh pineapple tossed it – makes for an awesome salad for lunch!
To make this Hawaiian Macaroni Salad you will need:
- Macaroni Pasta (or Bowtie Pasta)
- Pineapple chunks
- cooked ham
- Carrot
- Green onion
- Mayonnaise
- Plain greek yogurt
- Apple cider vinegar
- Sugar
For the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to make Hawaii Inspired Pasta Salad
- Prepare macaroni according to package directions and rinse in cold water
- In a large bowl, combine macaroni, pineapple chunks, ham, carrots, celery and green onion in a bowl. set aside.
How to make the Pineapple Dressing
- In a small bowl whisk together the reserved pineapple juice, mayonnaise, greek yogurt, cider vinegar, and sugar. Pour over pasta and stir to coat. Enjoy!
Make this Pasta Salad with Ham and Pineapple then check out my Easy Hawaiian Pineapple Squares, Traditional Deviled Ham Salad and Layered Cobb Salad Trifle and more of my summer salad recipes.
If you’re looking for a healthy summer salad then look no further because I’ve got a DELICIOUS recipe for you!
Summertime Strawberry Feta and Mint Salad
This Strawberry Feta and Mint Salad Recipe is super refreshing and the perfect balance between savory and sweet…the sweet honey homemade dressing is absolutely delicious! Enjoy this summertime salad with your favourite BBQ protein, or add grilled chicken for a complete dinner salad.
MAKE THIS RECIPE → Summertime Strawberry Feta and Mint Salad
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Turn canned beans, lentils and chickpeas into a flavourful salad that will add a healthy boost to your meals. Perfect year round, this fibre-rich salad is a great way of incorporating legumes into your diet. This can be served as a side dish, perfect for potlucks or to make it a main for lunch serve it over spiralized cucumbers.
Hawaii Inspired Pasta Salad Recipe Recipe
This Hawaiian Pasta Salad is a refreshing alternative to a Hawaiian Pizza that is perfect to take to a cookout, or for a simple dinner at home with some grilled barbecued chicken.
Ingredients
- ½ pound dry elbow macaroni
- 1 can 20 ounces pineapple chunks, drained (reserve ½ cup liquid for dressing)
- 2 cups cubed cooked ham
- ½ cup shredded carrot
- ¼ cup green onion
- 1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
Pineapple Dressing:
- ½ cup reserved pineapple juice
- ½ light mayonnaise
- ¼ cup plain greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Sugar
Instructions
- Prepare macaroni according to package directions and rinse in cold water
- In a large bowl, combine macaroni, pineapple chunks, ham, carrots, celery and green onion in a bowl. set aside.
Pineapple Dressing:
- In a small bowl whisk together the reserved pineapple juice, mayonnaise, greek yogurt, cider vinegar, and sugar. Pour over pasta and stir to coat. Enjoy!
Feel free to look through the rest of my recipes and if you can’t find the recipe you’re looking for let me know and I’ll do my best to create it for you.
Anna Luke
Monday 18th of March 2019
This sounds delicious, I can't wait to try it!