Description
This creamy deviled egg pasta salad combines classic picnic flavors with zesty mayonnaise and mustard dressing. Fresh herbs and crisp bacon elevate this crowd-pleasing summer side dish that you’ll want to share at gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 oz (226 g) small pasta (elbows or ditalini)
- 6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and diced
- ½ cup (75 g) red onion, finely chopped
- ¾ cup (180 ml) mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) pickle juice
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) Dijon mustard
- ⅓ cup (50 g) chopped pickles
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp paprika, plus more for serving
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Green onions, sliced, for serving
Instructions
- Pasta Preparation: Cook pasta in salted water until al dente, then immediately rinse with cold water to stop cooking and prevent clumping.
- Egg and Vegetable Preparation: Chop hard-boiled eggs into uniform pieces and finely dice red onion and pickles for balanced flavor distribution.
- Dressing Creation: Whisk mayonnaise, pickle juice, and Dijon mustard in a large mixing bowl to create a creamy, tangy base for the salad.
- Ingredient Integration: Fold chopped eggs, red onion, and pickles into the pasta, ensuring even coating with the dressing.
- Seasoning and Flavor Enhancement: Sprinkle garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper throughout the mixture, stirring gently to blend spices thoroughly.
- Chilling and Flavor Development: Refrigerate the salad in an airtight container for at least one hour, allowing flavors to meld and intensify.
- Final Presentation: Garnish with an extra dusting of paprika and freshly sliced green onions just before serving to add visual appeal and fresh flavor.
Notes
- Chill for Maximum Flavor: Refrigerate the pasta salad for at least an hour to allow ingredients to marry and develop a deeper, more complex taste profile.
- Achieve Perfect Pasta Texture: Rinse pasta immediately with cold water after cooking to stop the cooking process and prevent a mushy consistency.
- Balance Ingredient Sizes: Uniformly chop eggs, onions, and pickles to ensure each bite contains a harmonious blend of flavors and textures.
- Customize Seasoning Creatively: Adjust spices like garlic powder and paprika to match your personal taste preferences, making the dish uniquely yours.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 186 mg