Deviled Egg Pasta Salad with Pickled Relish
Cold macaroni salad combining creamy deviled egg filling with elbow pasta, mayonnaise, mustard, and sweet pickle relish. Hardboiled eggs are mashed into the dressing and mixed with cooled pasta, then garnished with sliced egg rounds and paprika. Chill before serving for a tangy, crowd-pleasing side dish.
Ingredients
- 8 hardboiled eggs, peeled
- 2 hardboiled eggs, peeled, for garnish(optional)
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked and cooledsmall pasta shells1:1similar texture
alternative pasta shapes work equally well
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard
- ¼ cup onion, diced
- 3 tbsp sweet pickle relishdill pickle relish1:1tangysavory
changes flavor profile to less sweet
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- paprika, for garnish(optional)
- green onion, for garnish(optional)
Instructions
- 1
Cook elbow macaroni according to package directions, drain, and rinse with cold water to cool.
- 2
Peel all hardboiled eggs. Set aside 2 eggs and slice into rounds for garnish.
- 3
Mash remaining 8 eggs with a fork or potato masher.
- 4
Add mayonnaise, yellow mustard, sweet pickle relish, diced onion, salt, and pepper to mashed eggs. Stir until combined.
- 5
Add cooled macaroni to egg mixture and stir until well combined.
- 6
Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
- 7
Garnish with sliced egg rounds, paprika, and green onions if desired.
- 8
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Tips
Rinse cooked pasta with cold water to stop cooking and cool quickly before mixing.
Mashing hardboiled eggs into the dressing creates a creamy texture throughout the salad.
Taste and adjust seasonings after mixing, as salt distributes unevenly.
Good to Know
Cover and refrigerate up to 3 days.
Prepare through step 5 up to 1 day ahead. Add garnish just before serving to keep paprika and green onions fresh.
Serve chilled as a side dish at picnics, potlucks, or alongside grilled meats.
Common Mistakes
Do not skip cooling the pasta with cold water to avoid warm salad and melted mayonnaise texture.
Do not over-mix when adding pasta to avoid breaking egg pieces into paste.
Add garnishes just before serving to avoid soggy paprika and wilted green onions.
Substitutions
alternative pasta shapes work equally well
changes flavor profile to less sweet