Deviled Egg Pasta Salad

Deviled egg pasta salad is a hearty, creamy side dish packed with flavor and a delightful range of textures. It's the perfect side for BBQs (not to mention potlucks, tailgate parties, picnics, and any other seasonal gathering).

Learn how to make deviled egg pasta, and serve it alongside ribs, grilled chicken, or any other classic BBQ main dishes and sides. Bonus: It’s easy to make this recipe ahead so you can spend more time enjoying loved ones and less time fussing in the kitchen on the big day.

Deviled Egg Pasta Salad Ingredients

To make deviled egg pasta salad, you'll need these ingredients:

• Elbow macaroni: We prefer this smaller pasta for the creamy pasta salad. But you can go with other short noodles like fusilli.
• Eggs: You can't have deviled egg pasta salad without eggs. Boil eggs yourself, or use the already-boiled kind you'll find in the dairy section of the grocery store.
• Mayonnaise: This is the creamy base for the pasta salad dressing. Use your favorite brand.
• Dijon mustard: Most fillings for deviled eggs have a bit of this tangy condiment, so we'll use it here, too. For a more intense flavor, you can use whole-grain or spicy brown mustard.
• Baby dill pickles: In place of relish, but use relish if you prefer it.
• Kosher salt: To even out the flavors.
• Garlic powder: Raw garlic would be too assertive, but garlic powder is easy to mix into the dressing.
• Paprika: You can skip this if you don't like your deviled eggs topped with paprika, but we think the hint of smokiness is nice.
• Red onion: For a little crunch. Yellow onion is OK, too.
• Celery: Usually deviled eggs use celery salt, but we'll use the fresh variety this time.
• Chives: Just a little something green to top the pasta salad.

How To Make Deviled Egg Pasta Salad

The full recipe for deviled egg past salad is below, but let's recap it briefly:

• Step 1. Boil the pasta: Boil salted water and add macaroni. Cook until al dente, drain, rinse, and set aside.
• Step 2. Prep the eggs: Halve the eggs lengthwise, and remove yolks from eight of them, transferring these yolks to a bowl. Roughly chop the remaining egg halves and whites and then set them aside.
• Step 3. Make the dressing: Add mayonnaise, mustard, pickle liquid, salt, garlic powder, and paprika to the bowl with egg yolks, and whisk until smooth. Add the onion, celery, chopped pickles, chopped eggs, and macaroni to the bowl with the mayonnaise mixture and fold to combine.
• Step 4. Serve: Transfer the salad to a large bowl, top with chives, and garnish with more paprika. 

What Does "Deviled" Mean in Cooking?

"Devil" is a culinary term that first appeared in the 18th century as a noun and then in the early 19th century as a verb, meaning to cook something with hot spices or condiments. Typically, this refers to the addition of mustard and cayenne pepper in a dish.

What Does Deviled Egg Pasta Salad Taste Like?

This fun side dish really registers similarly to deviled eggs in both flavor and texture, with an extra-creamy mayo-based dressing whisked together with fluffy egg yolks, tangy mustard, pickle juice, garlic powder, paprika, and salt. The chopped pickles, red onion, and celery—which aren’t always deviled-egg staples—work in harmony for a delicious result with crunch.

Can You Make Deviled Egg Pasta Salad Ahead of Time?

Yes, you can make parts of this pasta salad in advance so you can quickly pull it together before you're ready to serve. First, cook the pasta and let it cool. Store in an airtight container in the fridge up to one day.

Then, chop and prepare the eggs. Keep them in a container in the fridge until you're ready to add to the rest of the dish, or up to three days.

Finally, you can make the dressing and store it in the fridge up to three days. When it's time to serve, stir everything together (Step 5), garnish with paprika and chives, and serve.

Variations for Deviled Egg Pasta Salad

In general, pasta salads tend to serve as blank-slate recipes, and this one is the perfect example of that versatility. Here are a few ideas for making this dish your own:

• Change the pickles: Swap in pickled okra for the pickles
• Spice it up: Use smoked paprika instead of sweet paprika for more intense flavor. Switch up the spices just to your liking.
• Go with brine: Add some chopped capers for more tang and bite.

More Pasta Salad Recipes

Need a pasta salad for dinner or a picnic? Consider these classic recipes next:

• Broccoli, Grape, and Pasta Salad
• Classic Macaroni Salad with Ham
• Orzo Salad with Shrimp and Lemon Dressing
• Lemon Vinaigrette Pasta Salad with Field Peas
• Easiest-Ever Pasta Salad
• Pepperoni Pasta Salad

Editorial contributions by Alesandra Dubin.