Can we be honest with one another for a second? Macaroni salads aren’t much to look at, but holy moly are they delicious! This Deviled Egg Macaroni Salad is the perfect make ahead side dish for parties and potlucks!
What You’ll Need
This might look like a long list, but rest assured, they are all simple ingredients and a few kitchen hacks, this recipe comes together in no time. A full list of ingredients with measurements is available in the printable recipe card below.
- Cavatappi Pasta – I love this pasta for this recipe, but there are a lot of pasta shapes that also work. You want something that is dried and has a shape that features nooks, crannies, or ridges so the mayonnaise base has something to stick to.
- Eggs – You can easily hard boil and peel your own, but I like to go the pre-made hard-boiled eggs route and buy them from the store already cooked and peeled.
- Mayonnaise – Choose your favorite brand or make your own mayonnaise! This is the fat that will carry the flavor of this dish.
- White Vinegar – A classic ingredient in deviled egg filling, this is going to give the dressing some zing.
- Dijon Mustard – Another deviled egg mainstay. I like the sophistication of dijon mustard over yellow mustard.
- Ground White Pepper – A touch spicier than its black peppercorn counterpart. You can use black pepper if you wish.
- Kosher Salt – Believe it or not, this is less “salty” than table salt and will help bring out the flavors in the other ingredients.
- Smoked Paprika – Ground chilies that have been dried and smoked giving this spice a hint of smokiness and heat. Garnishing this dish with it also gives you that look of deviled eggs. Swapping this out with cayenne pepper will give it a nice kick!
- Garlic Powder – This will absorb into the dressing without an overpowering garlic taste.
- Carrots – Can’t have macaroni salad without some crunch. These provide sweetness as well.
- Crisp Celery – Another macaroni salad crunchy ingredient that also provides some an herbal aroma and salt.
- Red Onion – This rounds out the crunchy ingredients and boasts an assertive onion flavor that will get toned down by the mayo. White onion or sweet onion are also options, but don’t give you the confetti of color.
- Red Bell Pepper – Added for color, sweetness, and a slightly citrusy note.
- Chives – Not only do chives make every dish they are added to look better, but they also taste amazing. Very mild and almost sweet, onion flavor that is similar to leeks. You can also use green onions (scallions).
Let’s Get Cooking!
The process is super easy and this perfect side dish recipe can be made ahead of time
- Heat the water. Use a large pot, salt the water very well. As the pasta cooks, it will season from the inside out.
- Boil the pasta. Cook one minute longer than the al dente instructions on the box.
- Drain & chill. Rinsing pasta with cold water helps to halt the cooking process and then throwing it in the fridge for 30 minutes ensures that it is nice and cool. Skipping this step would make for soggy noodles AND it would run the risk of having pasta breakage. No one wants that!
- Prep the eggs. Easy peasy – it is all about separating the whites from the yolks. Put the cooked egg yolks in a separate bowl large enough to make the dressing.
- Make the creamy dressing. Work slowly and thoroughly to make sure each ingredient is fully incorporated and the mixture is even. Mixing the spices together before adding them to the large mix is a secret I like to use.
- Chop the whites. Cut the egg whites into uniform pieces, but you don’t have to be too precious about it either.
- Mix everything together. Grab a bowl larger than what you think you need. Toss the creamy dressing with the pasta and chopped hard-cooked eggs. One of the most common mistakes is a heavy stir and then all the ingredients muddy together making for an unappetizing macaroni salad.
- Garnish. Give that salad a bit of love with a few shakes of the smoked paprika.
- Cover and chill. Store in an airtight container or covered large mixing bowl. Giving this salad some time in the fridge only helps the flavors to really marry and the whole thing to get nice and cold.
5S Philosophy 👩🏻🍳
-
- Salt – For the most flavorful pasta salad be sure to properly salt your water when you cook the pasta and then don’t skimp on adding it to the salad as well.
-
- Seasoning – Smoked paprika is a winner in this salad, adding its signature smokiness to it.
-
- Sauces – Dijon mustard gives the salad a touch of tanginess and vinegar gives it a zip, too.
-
- Swaps – There are so many ways to switch up this pasta salad! Try adding different fresh herbs like dill, substitute Greek yogurt for the mayo, try a different pasta shape, or add in more proteins or veggies!
-
- Senses – This pretty salad is enough to brighten up any plate! Plus, the flavor is out-of-this-world and the textural contrasts between the al dente pasta, crisp bell peppers, and creamy dressing make it super satisfying.
What Goes Great With It
Macaroni salad is a delicious side dish for so many summer favorites. Try it with Instant Pot Pulled Pork, gourmet burgers, grilled chicken or a skirt steak.
It is also the perfect dish to grace your Easter holiday table with a classic pineapple ham, prime rib roast or lamb chops. Your whole family will love this unique twist on two comfort classics.
Storage and Freezing
Make this easy pasta salad ahead of time for a party or for your meal prepping.
Make Ahead
You need time not only to allow the pasta noodles to cool but for the whole salad to cool and meld as well. Make this up to 24 hours before your serve. Keep it in a large bowl covered in plastic wrap until then.
How to Store
This should be good in the fridge for about 5 days. Because it doesn’t need to be warmed up, you can easily just pull it out and enjoy when the mood strikes.
Can I Freeze Deviled Egg Macaroni Salad?
Sadly, this is one of those instances where freezing just isn’t a good idea.
Questions You Might Have About Macaroni Salad
1. Not using a pasta shape that allows for the dressing to really stick to it.
2. Overcooking or undercooking the pasta. Not enough cooking and you’ve got pasta that is hard to eat. Too much cooking and you’ve got a gummy macaroni salad.
3. Not seasoning the pasta enough. Salting the water you cook the pasta in as well as seasoning the salad right before you serve it helps with this.
4. Stirring the macaroni salad instead of simply tossing it. Stirring it will make for a gummy mess.
5. Not giving it enough time to chill before you serve. This dish is make ahead for a reason. The time in the fridge makes it magic.
Yes! Rinsing it after cooking it not only cools it down and prevents it from overcooking, it washes away the starches that would make for a gummed up macaroni salad.
You accidentally added to much vinegar. No sweat. You need to counterbalance that acidity aka sourness with it’s opposite: sweetness. A touch of honey or agave can help to remedy the situation. Add a little at a time and completely mix in before you give it a taste. Keep adding until it tastes the way it should.
More Delicious Recipes
Deviled Egg Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound uncooked cavatappi pasta
- 6 eggs , hard boiled
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup carrots , finely minced
- 1/2 cup celery , finely minced
- 2 tablespoons red onion , finely minced
- 2 tablespoon red bell pepper , finely minced
- 1 tablespoon chives , minced
- smoked paprika , for garnish
- chives , for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Fill a large Dutch oven or pot 3/4 with water, salt well, and then bring to a boil.
- Cook the 1 pound uncooked cavatappi pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain the pasta well and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Cut the 6 eggs in half, removing the yolks and setting the whites aside.
- Using a grate or fork, mash the egg yolks in a small bowl until smooth.
- Slowly add the 1 cup mayonnaise, making a paste. Then stir in the 2 teaspoons white vinegar, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper, 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.
- Chop the egg whites into small pieces.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the chilled pasta, egg yolk mixture, chopped egg whites, minced 1/2 cup carrots, chopped 1/2 cup celery, chopped 2 tablespoons red onion, chopped 2 tablespoon red bell pepper and chopped 1 tablespoon chives.
- Toss until just mixed, do not stir.
- Top with additional smoked paprika or snipped chives, if desired.
- Cover and chill until ready to serve.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Really different, but really good. I think it is to much macaroni for the amount of mixture, so I just cut back on macaroni
Thanks for the feedback!
I think this recipe is quite tasty. Very easy to put together. For those who don’t care for a smoky taste, I would substitute sweet paprika for the smoky. Will be making this again! I will definitely check out other recipes that you have shared.
I’ve never seen this version of macaroni before, but I would really love to try it. Saving the recipe. Thanks
How do you make egg salad even better? Combine with macaroni. Awesome recipe!
I would never have thought of putting deviled egg with pasta. This looks really good. Definitely going to try this for my family.
We love deviled egg mac salad at my house and your version looks spectacular. Theres so much good texture and flavor in this. Excellent upgrade from the traditional kind you find at the deli!
I’m gonna have a LOT of hard boiled eggs pretty soon (thanks to my egg-dying-obsessed 9yo LOL)! This will be a perfect way to repurpose them into a delicious dish! I love it!