Deviled Egg Pasta Salad

This easy deviled egg pasta salad has all of the classic egg salad and pasta salad flavors coming together in one tasty bowl. It’s easy to make, always a hit at potlucks and funeral lunches, and makes a TON of salad.

I love deviled eggs, but no member of my family shares my enthusiasm for them. Plus, I’m not crazy about making enough of them to feed the whole family.

This means that if we have a situation that requires leftovers or batch food, deviled eggs are NOT going to be my go-to recipe. Enter deviled egg pasta salad.

I’ve seen this recipe floating around forever and was intrigued by the concept from the beginning. It’s one of those recipes that people bring to potlucks and funeral lunches.

You know how you can tell those are good recipes to make? People love bringing them to gatherings because they know that the recipes are easy to make, transport well, and, most importantly, people like to eat them.

Why These Flavors Work Together

Instead of cutting eggs in half and filling them like classic deviled eggs, this recipe incorporates the eggs into a traditional egg salad recipe, chopping them up so that there is some of the flavor in every bite. Yellow mustard and white vinegar give it that acidic flavor that makes them different from your run-of-the mill egg salad, and pickle relish gives it that bite and texture so everything is not smooth and creamy.

What to Know Before You Start

• There are lots of ingredients in this recipe, but they are all things that should be in your fridge and pantry.
• Make sure that you have enough bowls, plates, etc. for a HUGE recipe.
• The flavor improves if you make this ahead of time. Give it at least a couple of hours before you serve it if possible.
• Don’t overcook your eggs or they’ll be grayish green and rubbery, and yuck. No one wants that!!
• Add dill pickle relish or finely chopped pickles for some acidity and texture. You don’t want everything to be creamy.

Unlike most pasta recipes, the noodles in this recipe should be cooled. This is especially important because warm noodles can melt the mayo and make this recipe more greasy.

So be sure to drain and rinse right away.

The amount of mayo seems like a lot at first but it all gets absorbed into the recipe. Be sure to make this recipe ahead of time and leave in fridge for a few hours before serving.

Don’t rush this part as the recipe will have a different texture.

How to Make It

Cook the macaroni according to the directions on the package. Make sure to cook it completely — this salad will be chilled before serving, so you want it to be extra-tender before it’s removed from the stove.

Rinse with cold water and drain. Elbow macaroni works best in this recipe — its shape allows for an even coating of dressing with every bite.

Make the dressing: Stir the remaining ingredients together in a bowl. We recommend using yellow mustard here instead of something like Dijon to capture that classic deviled egg flavor.

Also, the dill pickle relish is what really takes this recipe over the top — don’t skimp on it, and definitely opt for dill instead of sweet.

Combine the macaroni and dressing in a large bowl and chill. Serve with additional paprika sprinkled on top.

The paprika gives it more of a deviled egg presentation and adds just the slightest amount of smokiness.

Ingredient Tips

Use full-fat mayonnaise. We know that light or low-fat mayonnaise may seem like the obvious choice when using 3 cups of the stuff in a single recipe, but trust us — full-fat is the way to go here.

Macaroni salad dries out as it sits in the fridge, so using full-fat mayo ensures it will soak into the macaroni as it chills but won’t turn out too wet.

Add the right amount of eggs. This recipe calls for 6 hard-boiled eggs, which seems like a lot, but we promise it’s necessary.

We find that 6 is the right balance with a pound of pasta to ensure there’s a chunk of egg in every bite.

Salt and pepper to taste — then, do it again after it’s chilled. Cold food masks the effects of salt, so always make sure to go back and adjust for seasoning after macaroni salad is chilled.

How to Make the Perfect Hard-Boiled Egg

Place eggs in a single layer at the bottom of a saucepan or stockpot and cover them by about 1 inch with cold water. Bring to a boil over medium to high heat.

Remove pot from heat, cover, and let sit for 12 to 15 minutes. Immediately transfer eggs from the hot water into a bowl of ice water.

Meanwhile, fill a bowl with cold water. Once water is done boiling, transfer the eggs to the bowl of cold water and allow to sit for 10 minutes until eggs are completely cooled.

Once eggs are cooled, peel them. Helpful Tip: If needed, run the eggs under the cold water while peeling, as this will make them easier to peel.

Chop the eggs into rough chunks either with a sharp knife or an egg slicer, placing eggs on the egg slicer and slicing one direction, rotating, and slicing again. Helpful Tip: Try not to dice them too fine, because you want to be able to still see the eggs on each spoonful.

Fold the chopped eggs into the macaroni salad, taking care not to break up the eggs too much. Serve.

I highly recommend using an egg slicer, like this KitchenAid egg slicer, if you want uniform-sized pieces of egg. It’s SO MUCH easier and faster.

You’ll also be less likely to squash your eggs, leaving them with a mashed, broken-apart look.

• You want to make sure the pasta is cooled before adding the remaining ingredients. Adding mayo-based dressing to warm pasta will cause the mayo to separate, affecting the overall texture of the dish. Same goes for the eggs – room temp is fine, warm eggs are not.

Storage, Make-Ahead, and Leftovers

• Taste and adjust as necessary. Flavors can be a tad more muted once they’ve been chilled, so you may find that it needs a little more salt, mustard, or relish. Give it a good stir to redistribute everything evenly. It can also dry out a bit after being chilled. If necessary, stir in another spoonful or two of mayo.
• Chill, covered, for up to 24 hours ahead of time, stirring occasionally, to allow the flavors and textures to come together. This pasta salad is actually better if you allow it to chill before serving.

You can make the macaroni and egg salad ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several days. It’s actually even tastier after a day in the refrigerator as the macaroni will soak up even more of the dressing.

• The paprika is more than just a pretty garnish, it adds a subtle smoky flavor that complements the salad beautifully, not to mention gives it a hint as to what this pasta salad is all about. Don’t skimp.
• This deviled egg pasta salad will keep tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If needed, stir in 1-2 Tbsp of mayo, or even a splash of white vinegar to loosen it back up. Mayonnaise-based pasta salads fare MUCH better on days 2-3 than oil & vinegar-based salads.
• Important: mayo & egg-based dishes should not sit out for more than 2 hours at room temp. Keep this pasta salad on top of some ice during cookouts & summertime gatherings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different pasta shape?

If that isn’t on hand, feel free to substitute another short-cut pasta that is similar in size – think small shells, rotini, ditalini, etc.

Use small shapes of pasta. The shape of pasta used in this recipe was chosen with intention.

Larger pastas (penne, rigatoni, etc.) could be used here but they’ll be overwhelming compared to the amount of elbow macaroni per bite. Short, small, uniform pieces of pasta help to maintain a good proportion of pasta to dressing per bite, resulting in an evenly flavored pasta salad.

Longer pastas also become a little more tricky to eat in dishes like this.

Can I use sweet relish?

You can if that is what you like, but expect a different flavor. Sweet relish would result in a sweeter pasta salad, more in line with a classic egg salad recipe.

The tang of dill relish and the added briny zing it brings is what gives the recipe its deviled egg vibes.

Can I use more/fewer eggs?

I would not recommend using less than six. You’ll not have as much of a deviled egg presence.

You can use up to eight eggs before it gets too eggy, but that is pretty much the upper limit. More than eight and it starts to tip too much into pasta salad territory.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but it’s not as deviled egg forward then.

Why is there so much mayo?

It seems like a lot of mayo, I know. However, pasta absorbs a surprising amount of dressing while it rests in the refrigerator, especially pastas with thicker walls than standard elbow macaroni.

The last thing you want is dry, boring pasta salad. If it’s on the drier side for your taste as you’re mixing everything together, start with two cups of mayonnaise but add in the third cup in small increments until you get a creamy, moist salad that will maintain its moisture as it rests.

If it is a little too dry when you take it out of the refrigerator or the next day, stir in another tablespoon or two of mayonnaise to bring it back to life.

How far ahead of time can I make Deviled Egg Pasta Salad?

The further ahead of time, the better. Ideally, I’d make this on the morning of an afternoon/evening party.

Allowing the pasta salad to chill for at least two hours is important, as it gives the dressing plenty of opportunity to soak into the pasta and helps the ingredients meld together into one big, beautiful pasta salad.

Serving Ideas

This tangy salad goes well with burgers or brats off the grill. The tangy, creamy flavors balance well with the smoky char of freshly-grilled meats.

The deviled egg pasta salad will go great at a barbecue or a potluck alongside other classic fare like baked beans, rolls, and coleslaw. It’s great to take along to potluck picnics.

It’s a church basement crowd-pleaser for sure.

You could also serve the pasta salad alongside a platter of sliced, deli cold cuts. It goes great with fried chicken too.

It’s a summery side to serve alongside sliced tomatoes and corn on the cob.

Variations Worth Trying

You could add some crunch by stirring in some finely-diced celery (about 1/2 cup). A little minced red onion (about 1/4 cup) would be delicious as well.

The additions wouldn’t overwhelm the flavor.

If you like a little heat, try stirring in a dash of hot sauce. The salad wouldn’t taste spicy, but it adds a little complexity.

Add a sprinkle of crumbled bacon as a garnish just before serving.

Try using equal parts yellow and Dijon mustard. Start by substituting one tablespoon of Dijon and the same amount of yellow.

The Dijon adds a little punch and enhances the flavors.

Related Recipes

• Classic Macaroni Salad
• Broccoli Salad