Description
Creamy deviled egg pasta salad combines classic picnic flavors in one delightful dish. Southern-style comfort blends perfectly with summer gathering essentials, offering zesty protein-packed goodness you cannot resist.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 large eggs (hard-cooked)
- 12 oz uncooked elbow macaroni (approx. 3 cups)
- 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise (Duke’s brand)
- 3/4 cup red onion (finely chopped)
- 1/2 cup celery (thinly sliced)
- 2 tbsps Dijon mustard
- 6 baby dill pickles (2 oz, finely chopped)
- 1 tbsp pickle brine
- 1 tbsp chives (thinly sliced)
- 1 1/2 tsps kosher salt (additional for pasta water)
- 1 1/2 tsps garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika (additional for garnish)
Instructions
- Boil salted water in a large saucepan over high heat. Cook elbow macaroni for 7 minutes until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking and prevent clumping.
- Halve hard-boiled eggs and separate yolks from eight egg halves. Place yolks in a large mixing bowl. Roughly chop remaining egg whites and set aside.
- Create creamy dressing by whisking egg yolks with mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, pickle brine, salt, garlic powder, and paprika until mostly smooth with minimal yolk lumps.
- Incorporate chopped red onion, celery, pickles, and reserved chopped eggs into the dressing. Gently fold ingredients to ensure complete coating.
- Add cooled macaroni to the mixture, stirring carefully to distribute dressing evenly throughout the pasta. Ensure all components are well-integrated.
- Transfer pasta salad to a serving dish. Garnish with thinly sliced chives and a light sprinkle of paprika for color and enhanced flavor profile.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld and develop a cohesive taste.
Notes
- Perfectly cook pasta by salting water generously and following package timing to achieve ideal al dente texture without becoming mushy.
- Chill pasta immediately after cooking by rinsing with cold water to stop the cooking process and prevent clumping, ensuring a refreshing pasta salad consistency.
- Create ultra-creamy dressing by whisking egg yolks thoroughly, allowing small lumps for authentic deviled egg flavor and smooth texture.
- Enhance flavor complexity by letting the pasta salad rest in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours before serving, allowing ingredients to meld and develop deeper taste profiles.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 470 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 680 mg
- Fat: 39 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 30 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 13 g
- Cholesterol: 155 mg