Southern Potato-Free Egg and Pasta Salad

Name: Southern Potato-Free Egg and Pasta Salad
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 28 min
Total time: 1 h 3 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients: 8 large (400 g) large eggs, cold, straight from the refrigerator, in the shell; 12 ounces (340 g) dry elbow macaroni; 1 tablespoon (18 g) kosher salt, for the pasta water; 2 medium ribs (120 g) celery ribs, trimmed and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice (about 1 cup); ¼ cup (40 g) sweet or red onion, very finely diced; 1 cup (230 g) mayonnaise; ½ cup (120 g) sweet pickle relish, drained in a sieve, pressing lightly; 1 tablespoon (15 g) yellow mustard; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) apple cider vinegar; 2 tablespoons (30 ml) dill or sweet pickle juice, from the relish or a pickle jar; 1 teaspoon (4 g) granulated sugar; ½ teaspoon (3 g) fine salt; ½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; 3 tablespoons (45 ml) whole milk, cold; use only as needed to loosen the salad before serving (optional); 1 teaspoon (2 g) sweet paprika, for dusting on top

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A creamy, tangy Southern-style picnic salad that swaps the usual potatoes for tender elbow macaroni. Chopped hard-boiled eggs, crunchy celery, sweet pickle relish and a mustardy mayonnaise dressing get a dusting of paprika on top.

Prep: 35 min
Cook: 28 min
Wait: 2 hr 5 min
Total: 3 hr 8 min
Makes: About 8 cups (8 side-dish servings)

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Ingredients

8 servings

8 large (400 g) large eggs, cold, straight from the refrigerator, in the shell
12 ounces (340 g) dry elbow macaroni
1 tablespoon (18 g) kosher salt, for the pasta water
2 medium ribs (120 g) celery ribs, trimmed and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice (about 1 cup)
¼ cup (40 g) sweet or red onion, very finely diced
For the dressing
1 cup (230 g) mayonnaise
½ cup (120 g) sweet pickle relish, drained in a sieve, pressing lightly
1 tablespoon (15 g) yellow mustard
1 tablespoon (15 ml) apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons (30 ml) dill or sweet pickle juice, from the relish or a pickle jar
1 teaspoon (4 g) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon (3 g) fine salt
½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground
3 tablespoons (45 ml) whole milk, cold; use only as needed to loosen the salad before serving (optional)
1 teaspoon (2 g) sweet paprika, for dusting on top

Equipment (9)

3-quart (2.8 L) saucepan with lid, for the eggs
6-quart (5.7 L) pot, for the pasta
Large colander
Large bowl of ice water
Large mixing bowl (4–5 quart / 4–5 L)
Chef's knife and cutting board
Medium bowl, for the dressing
Rubber spatula
Measuring cups and spoons

Steps

Before you start

Plan on at least 2 hours of chilling. The salad tastes best after 3–4 hours, once the pasta has absorbed some dressing.
Use eggs that are at least a week old if you can. They peel much more cleanly than very fresh eggs.
Fill a large bowl with ice and cold water for the egg ice bath before you begin.
Measure out all the dressing ingredients before the pasta finishes cooking so you can dress it while it is cool.

1
Start the eggs
- Place the 8 eggs in a single layer in the 3-quart saucepan and cover with cold water by 1 inch (2.5 cm).
- Set over high heat and bring to a full rolling boil, about 8 minutes.
- At the same time, fill the 6-quart pot with 4 quarts (3.8 L) of water, add the 1 tablespoon kosher salt, cover and set on a second burner over high heat.
- As soon as the egg water boils, turn off the heat, cover the pan and leave the eggs in the hot water for 11 minutes.
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Ready when: Water is at a full rolling boil before you turn off the heat
Tip: Set a timer when you turn off the heat. Eggs left longer than 11 minutes develop a gray-green ring around the yolk.
2
Ice-bath the eggs
- Use a slotted spoon to move the eggs into the bowl of ice water.
- Leave them for at least 10 minutes while you cook the pasta, until they feel completely cold.
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Ready when: Eggs feel cold to the touch all the way through
Tip: Chilling stops the cooking and makes the shells easier to remove.
3
Cook the macaroni
- When the pasta water is at a rolling boil, add the 12 ounces (340 g) macaroni and stir well.
- Cook uncovered for 9–10 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the pasta is tender but still has a slight bite in the center.
- Cook it about 1 minute longer than you would for a hot dish, because cold pasta firms up.
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Ready when: A piece bitten in half has no hard white core but still feels slightly springy
Tip: Don't undercook the pasta. Firm pasta turns hard and chalky after chilling.
4
Drain and cool pasta
- Drain the macaroni in the colander and rinse under cold running water for about 1 minute, tossing, until it is no longer warm.
- Shake well and let it drain for 5 minutes, tossing once or twice, so no water clings to it.
- Tip into the large mixing bowl.
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Ready when: Pasta is cool to the touch and no water drips when you shake the colander
Tip: Warm pasta soaks up the dressing and leaves the salad dry, so cool it fully.
5
Prep the vegetables
- Dice the celery into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces and very finely dice the onion.
- Drain the relish in a sieve, pressing lightly, and save 2 tablespoons of the liquid.
- Add the celery and onion to the pasta.
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Ready when: Celery and onion pieces are small and even
Tip: Dice the onion very finely so no one bites into a harsh raw chunk.
6
Peel and chop eggs
- Crack each egg on the counter and roll it gently, then peel under a thin stream of cold water.
- Chop 7 eggs into ½-inch (1.2 cm) pieces and add them to the pasta bowl.
- Slice the remaining egg into thin rounds or wedges and refrigerate it for the topping.
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Ready when: Yolks are pale yellow and fully set, with no wet or glossy center
Tip: Peel from the wider end where the air pocket is, which gives you an easy start.
7
Whisk the dressing
- In the medium bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, drained relish, mustard, cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons pickle juice, sugar, ½ teaspoon salt and pepper until completely smooth.
- Taste and adjust: it should taste slightly sharper than you want the final salad, since the pasta and eggs will mellow it.
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Ready when: Dressing is smooth, pale and evenly speckled with relish
8
Fold it together
- Scrape the dressing over the pasta mixture.
- Fold gently with the spatula, scraping the bottom of the bowl, for about 1 minute until every piece of macaroni is coated and the eggs are evenly distributed.
- Don't stir hard, or the eggs will break down into a paste.
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Ready when: No dry pasta or pockets of plain dressing are visible
Tip: The salad will look generously dressed. Some of the dressing is absorbed as it chills.
9
Chill the salad
- Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, ideally 3–4 hours, so the flavors blend and the salad gets cold and firm.
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Ready when: Salad is thoroughly cold, at or below 40°F (4°C)
10
Loosen and garnish
- Stir the salad and check the texture.
- If it looks dry or stiff, stir in the milk 1 tablespoon at a time, up to 3 tablespoons, until creamy.
- Taste and add a pinch of salt if needed.
- Mound in a serving bowl, arrange the reserved egg slices on top and dust with 1 teaspoon paprika.
- Serve cold.
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Ready when: Salad is creamy and glossy, and slides easily off a spoon
Tip: Dust the paprika just before serving. It bleeds into the mayonnaise if added too early.

Good to know

Tips

Salt the pasta water generously. It is the only chance to season the pasta itself, and bland pasta makes a flat salad.
Press the relish in a sieve before adding it so the dressing stays thick, not watery.
Taste after chilling. Cold dulls flavor, so you may want a pinch more salt or a splash of vinegar.
For deviled-egg flavor, mash 2 of the yolks into the dressing before folding everything together.

Make ahead

"Make the salad up to 1 day ahead through step 8 and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Hold the milk, egg slices and paprika until just before serving, then loosen and garnish as in the final step."

Storage & reheating

"Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Do not leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if above 90°F / 32°C). Freezing is not recommended because the mayonnaise separates and the eggs turn rubbery. Serve cold; stir in a splash of milk to refresh leftovers."

Substitutions

dry elbow macaroni → small shells, ditalini or rotini. Use the same weight and cook to the same tender-but-springy stage.
sweet pickle relish → finely chopped dill pickles plus 1 extra teaspoon sugar. Gives a tangier, less sweet salad.
mayonnaise → ¾ cup (170 g) mayonnaise plus ¼ cup (60 g) plain Greek yogurt. Slightly lighter and tangier; still creamy.
sweet or red onion → 2 thinly sliced scallions (white and green parts). A milder onion flavor.