Old-Fashioned Potluck Pasta Salad with Mayo Dressing

Name: Old-Fashioned Potluck Pasta Salad with Mayo Dressing
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 28 min
Total time: 53 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 6 large (300 g) large eggs, cold, in the shell; 1 pound (454 g) dried rotini pasta; 2 tablespoons (36 g) kosher salt, for the pasta water; 2 medium (about 5 oz) (150 g) medium carrots, peeled and finely diced into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces; 3 stalks (about 5 oz) (150 g) celery stalks, trimmed and finely diced into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces; ½ cup (75 g) red onion, very finely diced; 1½ cups (340 g) full-fat mayonnaise; ⅓ cup (85 g) sweet pickle relish, drained lightly of excess liquid; 1 tablespoon (15 g) yellow mustard; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) distilled white vinegar; 1 tablespoon (12 g) granulated sugar; ¼ cup (60 ml) whole milk, cold, plus 1–2 tablespoons more if needed later; 1 teaspoon (4 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste; ½ teaspoon (1 g) freshly ground black pepper; ¼ teaspoon (½ g) sweet paprika, for dusting the top (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A classic church-basement, summer-picnic pasta salad: tender rotini tossed in a creamy, slightly sweet mayonnaise dressing with chopped hard-boiled eggs, crunchy carrot and celery, and sweet pickle relish. It makes a big bowl, travels well, and tastes even better after a good chill.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 28 min
Wait: 2 hr 36 min
Total: 3 hr 29 min
Makes: About 9 cups (10 side-dish servings)

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Ingredients

10 servings

For the salad
6 large (300 g) large eggs, cold, in the shell
1 pound (454 g) dried rotini pasta
2 tablespoons (36 g) kosher salt, for the pasta water
2 medium (about 5 oz) (150 g) medium carrots, peeled and finely diced into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces
3 stalks (about 5 oz) (150 g) celery stalks, trimmed and finely diced into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces
½ cup (75 g) red onion, very finely diced
For the dressing
1½ cups (340 g) full-fat mayonnaise
⅓ cup (85 g) sweet pickle relish, drained lightly of excess liquid
1 tablespoon (15 g) yellow mustard
1 tablespoon (15 ml) distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon (12 g) granulated sugar
¼ cup (60 ml) whole milk, cold, plus 1–2 tablespoons more if needed later
1 teaspoon (4 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon (1 g) freshly ground black pepper
To finish
¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) sweet paprika, for dusting the top (optional)

Equipment (8)

Large pot (at least 5-quart / 4.7-liter)
Medium saucepan (3-quart / 2.8-liter) with lid
Colander
Rimmed baking sheet (18×13-inch / 46×33 cm)
Large mixing bowl (4-quart / 3.8-liter or bigger)
Medium bowl for the dressing
Chef's knife and cutting board
Large spoon or silicone spatula

Steps

Before you start

Plan on at least 2 hours of chilling time so the flavors meld and the pasta firms up; overnight is even better.
Fill a large bowl with ice and cold water for the eggs before you begin.
Dice the vegetables small (about ¼ inch / 6 mm) so every forkful has a bit of everything.
Use full-fat mayonnaise for the creamiest, most stable dressing.

1
Hard-boil the eggs
- Place the 6 eggs in a single layer in the medium saucepan and cover with cold water by 1 inch (2.5 cm).
- Set over high heat and bring to a full rolling boil.
- As soon as it boils, turn off the heat, cover with the lid, and leave the pan on the burner for 11 minutes.
- Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice and cold water.
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Ready when: Whites and yolks are fully set (a cooked yolk is firm and pale yellow, not glossy or wet).
Tip: Don't skip the timer. Longer than 13 minutes gives rubbery whites and a green-gray ring around the yolk.
2
Cool the eggs
- Use a slotted spoon to move the eggs to the ice bath.
- Let them cool for 10 minutes, then drain and set aside.
- Leave them unpeeled until you are ready to chop.
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Ready when: Shells feel cold to the touch.
Tip: Start the pasta water while the eggs chill to save time.
3
Boil the rotini
- Fill the large pot with 4 quarts (about 3.8 liters) of water, add 2 tablespoons kosher salt, and bring to a rolling boil over high heat.
- Add the rotini and stir well.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute longer than the package's al dente time, usually 10–11 minutes total.
- Cooking slightly past al dente keeps the pasta tender after chilling.
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Ready when: A piece bitten in half is tender all the way through with no hard white core, but still has a slight chew.
Tip: Stir in the first 2 minutes so the spirals don't stick together.
4
Rinse and cool pasta
- Drain the pasta in the colander and rinse under cold running water for about 1 minute, tossing with your hands, until no steam rises.
- Shake off as much water as possible, then spread the pasta in an even layer on the baking sheet.
- Let it sit for 15 minutes so excess moisture evaporates.
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Ready when: Pasta is cool to the touch and looks matte, not wet.
Tip: Warm pasta soaks up dressing and turns gummy, and it can make the mayo oily. Make sure it's fully cool before mixing.
5
Prep vegetables and eggs
- While the pasta cools, peel the carrots and finely dice them and the celery into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces.
- Finely dice the red onion.
- Peel the cooled eggs and chop them into ½-inch (1.25 cm) pieces.
- Place the carrots, celery, and onion in the large mixing bowl and keep the chopped eggs in a separate small bowl.
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Ready when: All pieces are roughly the same small size.
Tip: Keep the eggs separate until the end so they stay in distinct pieces instead of breaking down into the dressing.
6
Whisk the dressing
- In the medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, relish, yellow mustard, vinegar, sugar, ¼ cup (60 ml) milk, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper until completely smooth and no sugar granules remain.
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Ready when: Dressing is smooth, creamy and pourable, like thick ranch dressing.
Tip: The dressing will taste slightly strong and sweet on its own. The pasta will mellow it.
7
Toss the salad
- Add the cooled pasta to the bowl with the carrots, celery, and onion.
- Pour the dressing over the top and fold gently with a large spoon or spatula until every spiral is evenly coated.
- Add the chopped eggs and fold just 4–5 more times to combine.
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Ready when: Pasta is evenly coated with no pockets of dry pasta or pooled dressing.
Tip: Fold rather than stir vigorously so the eggs stay in chunks.
8
Chill the salad
- Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight, so the pasta absorbs some dressing and the flavors meld.
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Ready when: Salad is thoroughly cold (40°F / 4°C or below) throughout.
9
Loosen, season, and serve
- Stir the chilled salad.
- The pasta will have absorbed dressing, so if it looks dry, stir in 1–2 tablespoons cold milk until creamy again.
- Taste and add a pinch more salt if needed.
- Dust the top with paprika, if using, and serve cold.
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Ready when: Salad looks glossy and creamy, and tastes balanced: tangy, lightly sweet, and well seasoned.
Tip: Under-seasoned cold food tastes flat, so always re-taste after chilling.

Good to know

Tips

Rinsing the pasta in cold water stops the cooking and removes surface starch, which keeps the salad from clumping.
Dice the vegetables small and uniform so the salad scoops neatly and tastes balanced in every bite.
Making the dressing a little looser than you think you need is on purpose: the pasta absorbs it as it chills.
Transporting to a potluck? Keep the salad in a cooler with ice packs and bring a small container of milk to loosen it on arrival.

Make ahead

"Make the entire salad up to 24 hours ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Stir in a splash of milk and re-season just before serving. For best texture, hold back the paprika until serving."

Storage & reheating

"Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Because it contains mayonnaise and eggs, do not leave it at room temperature longer than 2 hours (1 hour if above 90°F / 32°C); set the bowl in a larger bowl of ice at picnics. Not recommended for freezing, as the dressing separates and the vegetables turn watery. Serve cold; stir in a little milk to refresh."

Substitutions

dried rotini pasta → Elbow macaroni, small shells, or medium fusilli. Use the same weight and cook to the package time plus 1 minute.
sweet pickle relish → Finely chopped sweet gherkins (⅓ cup / 85 g) plus 1 tablespoon of their brine. Gives a similar sweet-tangy flavor with a bit more crunch.
full-fat mayonnaise → ¾ cup mayonnaise plus ¾ cup plain full-fat Greek yogurt. Lighter and tangier; add an extra pinch of sugar and salt.
red onion → Thinly sliced scallion whites and greens (¼ cup / 25 g). Milder onion flavor.