This Puerto Rican Ensalada de Coditos con Jamón (Macaroni Pasta with Ham) is made with elbow macaroni, diced ham, peppers, red onions and a delicious creamy dressing. A favorite side dish for dinner, gatherings and holiday meals.
Ensalada de coditos con jamón is a macaroni and ham pasta salad we make quite often in Puerto Rico. It’s made with elbow macaroni, ham, cheese, and a creamy dressing that brings everything together. We serve it at cookouts, family gatherings, and especially during the holidays alongside pernil asado, pavochon, arroz con gandules, ensalada de papa and all our other holiday dishes.
Another delicious coditos salad you might want to try, is our ensalada de coditos con pollo (macaroni and chicken salad).
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Ingredients
- elbow, shell, bowtie, rotini or mini penne pasta
- green bell pepper
- red bell pepper
- red onion
- ham steak
For the Salad Dressing
- mayonnaise
- sour cream
- garlic paste
- lemon juice
- fresh cilantro
- salt and pepper
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- Veggies: You can add different veggies like peas, chopped broccoli, scallions, shredded carrots, and celery.
- Cheese: Add chunks of cheese like cheddar or Monterey Jack cubes.
- Meat: Add crumbled bacon, turkey and chicken cubes are all delicious additions.
- Pasta: Penne, bowtie, rotini or shells work great with this salad.
- Eggs: Add chopped or quartered hard boiled eggs.
- Olives: Add chopped green or black olives.
Here is another delicious cold pasta salad using “Bowtie Pasta” by Jill from Kitchen Fun with My 3 Sons.
Step by Step Instructions
Pasta
Step 1: Cook the pasta per the box instructions. Rinse and drain under cold water to stop the cooking process. Add about a tablespoon of oil and stir to prevent the pasta from clumping. Then set aside.
Salad Dressing and Mixing
Step 2: Add the chopped cilantro, mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice and garlic to a glass bowl. Whisk or stir together to combine the ingredients well (Image 1). Season the salad dressing with a little bit of salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Step 3: Add the pasta, chopped veggies and ham to a bowl (Image 2). Top with the dressing and stir to combine well (Images 3 and 4). Taste for additional salt and pepper.
Serving the Salad
The salad is ready and can be served right away or refrigerate it for an hour or two to chill. Chilling the salad enhances the flavors and allows them to meld.
Expert Tips
- Don’t Overcook Pasta – Cook the pasta al dente. Overcooking it will make it mushy especially once added to with the dressing.
- Dice Evenly – Dice the vegetables and meat evenly for the best uniform texture and presentation.
- Chill – For the best tasting salad, let it chill for at least one to two hours.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, this salad is even better made a few hours or a day in advance so that the flavors have time to meld together.
The salad is best when eaten within 3 days. To freshens it up, add a little more dressing or simply a little mayo.
To store, simply cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Use cooked turkey, chicken, and tuna make delicious alternatives.
Other Side Dishes You Will Love
📖 Recipe
Ensalada de Coditos con Jamón
Ingredients
- ½ pound elbow pasta cooked
- ½ small green bell pepper rinsed and chopped
- ½ small red bell pepper rinsed and chopped
- ½ small red onion chopped
- 1 cup ham steak cubed
- 1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
For Salad Dressing
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro rinsed and finely chopped
- 1¼ tablespoons lemon juice about ½ lemon depending on size
- 1-2 teaspoon garlic paste
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Cooking Pasta
- Cook the pasta per box instructions. Rinse and drain under cold water to stop the cooking process. Add about a tablespoon of oil and stir to prevent the pasta from clumping. Then set aside.
Salad Dressing
- Add the chopped cilantro, mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice and garlic to a glass bowl. Whisk or stir together to combine the ingredients well. Season the salad dressing with a little bit of salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
- Add the pasta, chopped veggies and ham to a bowl. Top with the dressing and stir to combine well. Taste and adjust for additional salt and pepper if needed.
Serving
- The salad is ready and can be served right away or refrigerate it for an hour or two. Chilling the salad enhances the flavors and allows them to meld.
Notes
- peas
- thinly sliced fresh broccoli
- chopped scallions
- shredded carrots
- chopped celery
- chopped boiled eggs
- cheese cubes like cheddar
- use different shapes of pasta
Nena says
Amazing recipe! Absolutely delicious. I played with the amounts of each ingredient to taste, and definitely added more ham to it, but this recipe is great.
Felix says
Delicious!!!
Catherine Arena says
Glad to hear you enjoyed it Felix!