Showing posts with label Salad. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Salad. Show all posts

5/06/25

Creamy Primavera Pasta Salad

Home » Side Dishes » Creamy Primavera Pasta Salad

Crisp vegetables, seasoned pasta and a creamy dressing come together in a flavor-packed salad made easy with ranch and Italian dressing mixes.

Remember that Pampered Chef veggie pizza appetizer recipe? It had a cooked and cooled crescent roll crust with a slathering of ranch-seasoned cream cheese then it was topped with fresh chopped vegetables? I always loved that. 

Well, it's exactly what came to mind when I had a pasta salad side from a local restaurant recently. The place was relatively dark and I didn't exactly study the salad before I put a forkful in my mouth. I was expecting the usual veggies and a vinaigrette so I was surprised to find a creamy dressing and bits of fresh broccoli and carrots. 

I liked it. A lot. So much so that I was still thinking about it the next day.

Creamy Primavera Pasta Salad! Crisp vegetables, seasoned pasta and a creamy dressing come together in a flavor-packed salad made easy with ranch and Italian dressing mixes.

I mean, who ever got excited about raw broccoli? There was just something about the crisp, fresh, tiny bits of it that paired so perfectly with the soft pasta and creamy dressing. 

I don't remember which other veggies were in the salad I tasted but since something about it reminded me of that Pampered Chef classic, I decided to add carrots and red peppers to mine. Since I already had green broccoli, I decided to use red onion instead of the traditional scallions.

I was really conflicted about which way I wanted the dressing to lean. I definitely wanted some Ranch action but I was kinda leaning toward a creamy Italian too because these veggies combined with pasta just scream pasta primavera to me!

Creamy Primavera Pasta Salad! Crisp vegetables, seasoned pasta and a creamy dressing come together in a flavor-packed salad made easy with ranch and Italian dressing mixes.

So I decided to employ the trick step that makes my recipe for The BEST Creamy Macaroni Salad so flavorful. I seasoned the cooked and rinsed pasta first before adding anything else so it could soak up a ton of flavor on its own. 

I used a dry packet of Italian dressing mix to season the pasta then used a packet of ranch to make the dressing for the salad.

The combination of Italian and Ranch was perfect for this! I got that Pampered Chef recipe vibe I wanted and the primavera taste all in one. It was a gamble to combine the two but I'm so glad I did because this stuff is so good!

Creamy Primavera Pasta Salad! Crisp vegetables, seasoned pasta and a creamy dressing come together in a flavor-packed salad made easy with ranch and Italian dressing mixes.

That's the thing folks may not realize about food bloggers... well, the real food bloggers (not the AI garbage mongers with fake photos, computer-generated word vomit and random recipes lifted out of God knows where). Sometimes we test new recipe ideas and they're not great.

I make stuff sometimes that I never share with y'all. I'll have an idea for a recipe, go buy all the ingredients, hash out a recipe, cook it and... it's just not worth sharing. Even if it looks amazing, if I'd never cook it again or serve it to someone else, I don't publish it.

So, when I do love it and I completely created it out of my own head, I get super excited! I mean, it's not art or music or anything, but I did create it and it feels so great when I get a little confirmation that, hey, I am good at this!

Creamy Primavera Pasta Salad! Crisp vegetables, seasoned pasta and a creamy dressing come together in a flavor-packed salad made easy with ranch and Italian dressing mixes.

A FEW RECIPE NOTES

  • You can make this ahead of time (up to 2 days) but DO NOT stir in the veggies until the day you're ready to serve so the veggies stay crisp.
  • When preparing ahead of time, the pasta may soak up the creamy dressing and look a bit dry. If this happens, simply stir in more mayo or a combination of mayo and prepared ranch dressing (creamy Italian dressing will work as well) before adding the veggies.
  • This recipe is BEST when the veggies are diced/chopped pretty small (see photo below). These are sturdy vegetables so you don't want big chunks to dominate an otherwise perfect mouthful of pasta salad.
  • Creamy Primavera Pasta Salad! Crisp vegetables, seasoned pasta and a creamy dressing come together in a flavor-packed salad made easy with ranch and Italian dressing mixes.
  • Use whichever vegetables you enjoy best. I generally try to choose vegetables that can be cooked and can be found in Italian cuisine (like you might find in a traditional hot pasta primavera entree). 
  • Use a box grater for the carrots or dice very fine.
  • I prefer the Zesty Italian dressing mix from Good Seasons over the regular Italian because it has less sugar. The regular mix is decidedly sweet which isn't great for creamy dressings. 
  • Any ranch dressing mix will work (buttermilk, restaurant-style, etc.). Just make sure you get the dressing mix and not the dip.

Creamy Primavera Pasta Salad! Crisp vegetables, seasoned pasta and a creamy dressing come together in a flavor-packed salad made easy with ranch and Italian dressing mixes.

TWO OTHER PASTA SALADS I LOVE SO, SO MUCH!

I can't tell you which one of the three I like best because they're each very different! This recipe you're reading now and the two below are, hands-down, my absolute favorites and everyone ALWAYS asks for the recipe!

The BEST Creamy Macaroni Salad - A surprisingly flavorful recipe for creamy macaroni salad with a ton of flavor and one step that makes all the difference! 

Overnight Pasta Salad - Absolutely amazing pasta salad made by mixing cooked pasta with prepared Italian dressing AND dry Italian dressing seasoning mix to marinate overnight. 

Recipe for Creamy Primavera Pasta Salad

Creamy Primavera Pasta Salad! Crisp vegetables, seasoned pasta and a creamy dressing come together in a flavor-packed salad made easy with ranch and Italian dressing mixes.

Creamy Primavera Pasta Salad

Creamy Primavera Pasta Salad
Yield: 12 Servings
Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 30 Min

Crisp vegetables, seasoned pasta and a creamy dressing come together in a flavor-packed salad made easy with ranch and Italian dressing mixes.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb penne pasta
  • 1 red pepper
  • 1/2 red onion
  • 1.5 cups chopped broccoli
  • 1 cup grated carrot
  • 1 packet dry Italian dressing mix
  • 1 packet dry ranch dressing mix
  • 1 cup mayonnaise

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta in salted water per manufacturer's instructions then drain. Rinse in cold water then drain again.
  2. Add pasta to a large mixing bowl then stir in dry Italian dressing mix. Set aside.
  3. Meanwhile, dice red pepper and onion, chop broccoli and grate carrot. Aim for a very small dice/chop on all veggies.
  4. Combine mayo and dry ranch dressing in a separate bowl, stir well, then fold into pasta until well combined.
  5. Stir in veggies then refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

  • You can make this ahead of time (up to 2 days) but DO NOT stir in the veggies until the day you're ready to serve so the veggies stay crisp.
  • When preparing ahead of time, the pasta may soak up the creamy dressing and look a bit dry. If this happens, simply stir in more mayo or a combination of mayo and prepared ranch dressing (creamy Italian dressing will work as well) before adding the veggies.
  • Use a box grater for the carrots or dice very fine.
  • I prefer the Zesty Italian dressing mix from Good Seasons over the regular Italian because it has less sugar. The regular mix is decidedly sweet which isn't great for creamy dressings. 
  • See more tips and suggestions in the article above the recipe card!


Creamy Primavera Pasta Salad, pasta salad, primavera, creamy, italian, ranch, dressing, broccoli, pampered chef, veggie pizza, best, easy, side side, potluck, ranch seasoning, ranch packet, ranch dressing, good seasons, italian dressing packet
side dish, salad
American
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10/09/23

Easy Homemade Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing

Home » Side Dishes » Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing

A simple recipe using a packet of ranch dressing mix, lime juice, cilantro and just a few other common ingredients that tastes better than any store-bought dressing.

Do you ever pop over here to South Your Mouth and think, “Dang, Mandy, for a Southern cook, you sure do make a lot of Mexican food…”?

Well, I’ll tell you why… my whole family loves it. And I never have to convince them to try a new recipe and I never hear any flack about what’s for supper when they know it’s Mexican food.

Mexican food, or to be more accurate, Americanized Mexican food, is easy to prepare, super versatile and usually pretty inexpensive so it’s easy to lean that way when making my meal plan for the week!

Easy Homemade Cilantro Lime Ranch! A simple recipe using a packet of ranch dressing mix, lime juice, cilantro and just a few other common ingredients that tastes better than any store-bought dressing.

I’ve bought enough Cilantro Lime Ranch from the grocery store to know I don’t love any of it. And I made a recipe or two I found online and never thought they were worth the effort. So I decided to make my own.

I wanted the recipe to be EASY and delicious so I knew exactly where to start: with a packet of ranch dressing mix.

Since I always whip up my ranch dressing mix with buttermilk instead of regular milk, I knew EXACTLY how to bring the lime juice into things – by making a “homemade” buttermilk from the acidic lime juice mixed with regular milk.

And when I’ve got a fresh lime on-hand, of course I’m going to zest that sucker and wring every bit of flavor out of that lime.

Easy Homemade Cilantro Lime Ranch! A simple recipe using a packet of ranch dressing mix, lime juice, cilantro and just a few other common ingredients that tastes better than any store-bought dressing.

INGREDIENTS FOR EASY CILANTRO LIME RANCH

  • Packet of Ranch Dressing Mix
  • Lime juice & zest
  • Milk
  • Mayonnaise
  • Onion Powder
  • Cilantro

Easy Homemade Cilantro Lime Ranch! A simple recipe using a packet of ranch dressing mix, lime juice, cilantro and just a few other common ingredients that tastes better than any store-bought dressing.

NOTES ABOUT MAKING EASY CILANTRO LIME RANCH

  • I like this best a little on the thin side (as you can see in the photos) so I use 1 cup of milk. If you prefer a thicker dressing, use 3/4 cup milk instead of a full cup.
  • Combining the lime juice and milk first allows it to thicken like buttermilk before we mix the other ingredients together.  
  • Don’t use a metal mixing bowl as the citric acid in lime juice may react with certain metals.
  • For AVOCADO Cilantro Lime Ranch, reduce mayo to 3/4 cup, add one mashed avocado and a pinch of salt. PRO TIP: to easily mash the avocado, scoop out the pulp then add to a zip-top bag. Seal the bag then use your hands to mash it into a creamy paste. Snip one corner off the bag (about an inch wide) then squeeze the avocado into the bowl. 
Easy Homemade Cilantro Lime Ranch! A simple recipe using a packet of ranch dressing mix, lime juice, cilantro and just a few other common ingredients that tastes better than any store-bought dressing.

RECIPES TO USE WITH EASY CILANTRO LIME RANCH

Whether you drizzle it on top or serve it with an easy side salad, these recipes are perfect alongside Easy Cilantro Lime Ranch:

Chipotle Chicken Taco Meat - An easy, flavor-packed recipe using ground chicken and canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce that’s surprisingly low in fat, calories and carbs for tacos, burrito bowls and anything else taco meat is used with. 

Smothered Beef & Bean Burrito Bake - An easy Mexican-inspired casserole recipe made from flour tortillas stuffed with ground beef, cheese and refried beans smothered in a savory queso sauce that comes together right in the oven. 

3-Ingredient Crock Pot Chicken Tacos - A super simple slow cooker recipe for shredded Mexican chicken taco meat made with chicken breasts perfect for tacos, burritos, rice bowls and more made with only three ingredients. 

Chipotle Shrimp Tostada Bites - A super fun and easy appetizer recipe made with tortilla chips, chipotle glazed shrimp and guacamole sprinkled with a confetti of red onion and cilantro. 

Taco Rice with Queso - A one-pan skillet dinner recipe made with ground beef, taco seasoning and Mexican style rice drenched in an easy queso cheese sauce. 

Recipe for Easy Homemade Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing

Easy Homemade Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing

Easy Homemade Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing
Yield: 2 Cups
Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth
Prep time: 10 MinInactive time: 30 MinTotal time: 40 Min

A simple homemade recipe using a packet of ranch dressing mix, lime juice, cilantro and just a few other common ingredients that tastes better than any store-bought dressing.

Ingredients

  • 1 1-oz packet ranch dressing mix
  • 1 lime
  • 3/4 - 1 cup milk (see notes)
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 cup minced cilantro (packed)

Instructions

  1. Zest and juice the lime. Add zest, 1 tablespoon of lime juice and milk to a glass or plastic mixing bowl. Stir well then set aside for 10 minutes.
  2. Add ranch dressing mix, mayo, onion powder and cilantro then whisk until smooth.
  3. Add more lime juice or cilantro if desired.
  4. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before using so the dressing can thicken.
  5. Refrigerate in an airtight container to store up to 2 weeks (or whatever the expiration date is on your milk).

Notes

  • I like this best a little on the thin side (as you can see in the photos) so I use 1 cup of milk. If you prefer a thicker dressing, use 3/4 cup milk instead of a full cup.
  • Combining the lime juice and milk first allows it to thicken like buttermilk before we mix the other ingredients together.  
  • Don’t use a metal mixing bowl as the citric acid in lime juice may react with certain metals.
  • For AVOCADO Cilantro Lime Ranch, reduce mayo to 3/4 cup, add one mashed avocado and a pinch of salt. PRO TIP: to easily mash the avocado, scoop out the pulp then add to a zip-top bag. Seal the bag then use your hands to mash it into a creamy paste. Snip one corner off the bag (about an inch wide) then squeeze the avocado into the bowl.
Homemade Cilantro Lime Ranch dressing, Cilantro Lime Ranch, Cilantro Lime Ranch dressing, cilantro, lime, ranch, dressing, hidden valley, homemade, fresh, easy, quick, best, restaurant, mexican, avocado, how to, zest
salad, dressing
american
Keep up with my latest shenanigans by following South Your Mouth!


11/04/22

Overnight Pasta Salad (the BEST Pasta Salad EVER)

Home » Side Dishes » Overnight Pasta Salad

Absolutely THE BEST pasta salad recipe made by mixing hot, cooked pasta with prepared Italian dressing AND dry Italian dressing seasoning mix to marinate overnight.

It may look the same, and the ingredients may be similar, but this IS NOT like the pasta salad you’re used to eating.

This is a gozillion times better than the traditional stuff because of the way it’s prepared.

Just trust me on this one, you need to try this recipe.

Overnight Pasta Salad | Absolutely THE BEST pasta salad recipe made by mixing hot, cooked pasta with prepared Italian dressing AND dry Italian dressing seasoning mix to marinate overnight.

Two things will happen when you try pasta salad made this way:

You’ll never make it the old way again.

ERRYBODY will ask you for the recipe.

Overnight Pasta Salad | Absolutely THE BEST pasta salad recipe made by mixing hot, cooked pasta with prepared Italian dressing AND dry Italian dressing seasoning mix to marinate overnight.

Are you thinking, Really Mandy, what could possssibly be so special about pasta salad??

Well, lemme tell ya!!

There are actually two things that make this pasta salad so good…

Overnight Pasta Salad | Absolutely THE BEST pasta salad recipe made by mixing hot, cooked pasta with prepared Italian dressing AND dry Italian dressing seasoning mix to marinate overnight.

Reason #1 - Once you drain the hot, cooked pasta, you mix the dressing in immediately. The hot pasta soaks up the dressing and marinates in it overnight.

Reason #2 – We use both prepared Italian dressing AND a packet of dry Italian dressing mix which makes the pasta perfectly seasoned and packed with flavor.

Overnight Pasta Salad | Absolutely THE BEST pasta salad recipe made by mixing hot, cooked pasta with prepared Italian dressing AND dry Italian dressing seasoning mix to marinate overnight.

I add the veggies I like in this recipe but feel free to add or omit per your preference. This recipe has:

  • English cucumbers
  • Grape tomatoes
  • Red onions
  • Black olives
  • Sun-dried tomatoes

Some other add-ins to consider could be:

  • Pepperoncini peppers
  • Mozzarella pearls
  • Bell peppers (any color)
  • Green olives
  • Pepperoni 
  • Artichoke hearts
  • Edamame
  • Green onions
Overnight Pasta Salad | Absolutely THE BEST pasta salad recipe made by mixing hot, cooked pasta with prepared Italian dressing AND dry Italian dressing seasoning mix to marinate overnight.

NOTES ON MAKING OVERNIGHT PASTA SALAD

  • Use a ridged, tubular pasta if possible. My favorites are pipette (pictured here), cellentani, ridged elbows and mini penne.
  • If you don't have time to prepare the pasta the day before, make at least 8 hours before serving.
  • Use whichever fresh veggies you like best in pasta salad (these are just my favs). See above for suggestions of other add-ins.
  • You don’t need to wait until the exact minute you’re about to serve this to add the fresh veggies – I just don’t recommend letting them sit in the dressing overnight or mixing them with warm pasta.
  • Any quality “oil & vinegar” type Italian dressing works. I always use Kraft’s Zesty Italian or Olive Garden’s Signature Italian. If I had to pick one, I’d say I like it with the OG dressing best.
  • I use Good Seasons dry Italian dressing mix.
  • Don’t skip the sun-dried tomatoes! They are insanely flavorful AND they provide a chewy texture which is excellent with the soft pasta and crisp veggies.

Recipe for Overnight Pasta Salad (the BEST Pasta Salad EVER)

Overnight Pasta Salad | Absolutely THE BEST pasta salad recipe made by mixing hot, cooked pasta with prepared Italian dressing AND dry Italian dressing seasoning mix to marinate overnight.

Overnight Pasta Salad (the BEST Pasta Salad EVER)

Overnight Pasta Salad (the BEST Pasta Salad EVER)
Yield: 15 Servings
Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 10 MinInactive time: 24 HourTotal time: 24 H & 25 M

Absolutely THE BEST pasta salad recipe made by mixing hot, cooked pasta with prepared Italian dressing AND dry Italian dressing seasoning mix to marinate overnight.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb pasta (see notes)
  • 2 cups Italian dressing
  • 1 packet dry Italian dressing mix
  • 1 8-oz bottle sun-dried tomatoes
  • 1 can pitted black olives, drained
  • 1 pint grape tomatoes, diced
  • 1 English cucumber, diced
  • 1 red onion, diced

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta in liberally salted water per manufacturer’s instructions for al dente preparation. Drain noodles well (do not rinse) then add to a large mixing bowl.
  2. While noodles are still warm, stir in Italian dressing and dry Italian dressing mix.
  3. Drain then chop sun-dried tomatoes. Stir tomatoes into pasta, cover and refrigerate overnight.
  4. When ready to serve, add remaining ingredients then mix well. Cover and refrigerate to store.

Notes

  • Use a ridged, tubular pasta if possible. My favorites are pipette (pictured here), cellentani, ridged elbows and mini penne.
  • If you don't have time to prepare the pasta the day before, make at least 8 hours before serving.
  • Use whichever fresh veggies you like best in pasta salad (these are just my favs). See article above for suggestions of other add-ins.
  • You don’t need to wait until the exact minute you’re about to serve this to add the fresh veggies – I just don’t recommend letting them sit in the dressing overnight or mixing them with warm pasta.
  • Any quality “oil & vinegar” type Italian dressing works. I always use Kraft’s Zesty Italian or Olive Garden’s Signature Italian. If I had to pick one, I’d say I like it with the OG dressing best.
  • I use Good Seasons dry Italian dressing mix.
  • Don’t skip the sun-dried tomatoes! They are insanely flavorful AND they provide a chewy texture which is excellent with the soft pasta and crisp veggies.
Overnight Pasta Salad, pasta salad, noodle salad, italian, italain dressing, side dish, olive garden, kraft, zesty, dressing, seasoning, good seasons, mix, dry, powder, packet, bottle, prepared, sun-dried, tomatoes, olives, best, overnight, soak, marinate, recipe, how to
side dish
American
Keep up with my latest shenanigans by following South Your Mouth!


8/10/20

Deviled Egg Pasta Salad

A rustic macaroni salad made with elbow noodles, chopped boiled eggs and a simple but perfectly seasoned dressing perfect for everything from burgers to Sunday dinner.

JUMP TO RECIPE

The first time I saw a recipe for this I skipped right by it and thought… yeah, OK, just because you stirred some macaroni noodles in with some egg salad and churched it up with a cutsie name doesn’t make it a thing.

Then I got to thinking about how good that might actually be. I LOVE boiled eggs. Well, I love boiled egg whites – I can’t get down with plain boiled egg yolks – and deviled eggs and egg salad.

Deviled Egg Pasta Salad! A rustic macaroni salad made with elbow noodles, chopped boiled eggs and a simple but perfectly seasoned dressing perfect for everything from burgers to Sunday dinner.

And y’all might think this is weird but my favorite way to eat egg salad is on plain Lay’s potato chips like a chunky dip. So mixing egg salad with some well-seasoned pasta might be right up my alley!

I made this and sheepishly served it one night alongside some pan-fried burgers for a quick weeknight supper and waited to hear complaints… where’s the potato salad? what even is that? can we just have chips?

Everyone loved it! My middle even asked me to make it again with Sunday dinner a few days later. Well, I’ll be. I did not see that coming!

Deviled Egg Pasta Salad! A rustic macaroni salad made with elbow noodles, chopped boiled eggs and a simple but perfectly seasoned dressing perfect for everything from burgers to Sunday dinner.

The recipes I’ve seen online are mostly macaroni with some boiled eggs added (probably 80% pasta, 20% boiled eggs). But when I’m eating classic Southern potato salad I find myself trying to navigate the serving spoon to get as many chopped boiled eggs as I can manage which made me decide to aim for about a 50/50 ratio of macaroni to eggs.

Plus, I figured it would be a way to beef up the protein in this (and subsequently reduce the carbs) which would make it a little bit healthier. Not to say this is healthy – it’s not – but cutting carbs and increasing protein is always something I try to do when I have the chance.

I’m pretty plain jane with my egg salad and deviled eggs – just mayo, a little mustard, salt and a hint of a few other spices so that’s how I made this recipe. If you enjoy pickle relish (sweet or dill), chopped celery or fresh herbs in your egg salad, then definitely add them!

The way I put things together in this is similar to my macaroni salad recipe in that you sorta "marinate" the cooked noodles with the seasonings to let them soak up some flavor before you add the mayo and other ingredients which I think makes it taste SO MUCH BETTER than regular ol' macaroni salad.

Deviled Egg Pasta Salad! A rustic macaroni salad made with elbow noodles, chopped boiled eggs and a simple but perfectly seasoned dressing perfect for everything from burgers to Sunday dinner.

Now, it never once occurred to me that someone might need directions for it until a friend of mine was helping me cook supper one day and asked me how I wanted her to cut the eggs for the potato salad. I said, just chop ‘em up and she told me she didn’t really know how to do that.

I just stood there with my hands in the sink and stared at her for a minute. The only thing that broke me out of my trance was the sound of the running water I was washing up with. I opened my mouth to speak but just gaped like a fish out of water because I could not find my words.

She blushed first then squared up a little, flung her “looka here” finger my direction and told me not everyone grew up with a mama that cooked and taught them stuff like that and I ought to remember that the next time I want to pull a fish face on someone for not knowing how to do something.

Welp.

There you go.

Dang it, I hate when I’m in the wrong. I hate it I hate it I hate it! But I was and I felt about two inches tall. I told her she was absolutely right, that I was sorry and that I’d show her how I chop my eggs. Then I made a mental note to call Mama and tell her I loved her.

How to Chop Boiled Eggs by Hand Without an Egg Slicer

HOW TO CHOP BOILED EGGS WITHOUT AN EGG SLICER

  1. Hold the egg in the palm of your hand on its side.
  2. Using a paring knife, make one slice down the center of the egg lengthwise, cutting it in half but holding it together. Then cut two more slices on either side of (parallel to) the first cut.
  3. Rotate the egg a quarter turn then repeat. What you have now is essentially an egg cut into 16 strips.
  4. Still holding the egg together, start cutting it from the other direction which will chop the egg into small cubes.
  5. Keep the egg cubes in your palm then roughly chop the egg a little more, focusing on the yolk so that it gets especially broken up.
  6. Repeat with remaining eggs.

You’ll want gorgeous boiled eggs for this recipe so let me tell you how to get them and never have the dreaded green or grey yolks ever again! To ensure you have no discoloration in your egg yolks you want to add them to the water after it’s boiling and then shock them in ice water when they’re done.

Cooking eggs at too high of temperature and/or for too long is what causes the green/grey color in the yolks. The sulfur in the whites and the iron in the yolks do ugly (though harmless) things to each other when they’re too hot for too long in such a tiny, confined space.

Deviled Egg Pasta Salad! A rustic macaroni salad made with elbow noodles, chopped boiled eggs and a simple but perfectly seasoned dressing perfect for everything from burgers to Sunday dinner.

HOW TO BOIL EGGS WITHOUT GREEN YOLKS

  1. Bring a pot of water to a full, rolling boil. A wide shallow pan works best if you have it. You’ll want enough water in the pan to completely cover the eggs.
  2. Once the water is boiling, gently lower each egg into the water using a slotted spoon. Work as quickly as you can without dropping the eggs to ensure they all cook the same amount of time.
  3. Adding the eggs should bring the temperature down in the water – which is good. We want simmering, not boiling, water. Once water starts to boil again, reduce heat to prevent it from reaching a full, rolling boil.
  4. Once all the eggs are in the pot, cook for 10-12 minutes (medium eggs – 10 mins, large eggs – 11 mins, jumbo eggs – 12 mins).
  5. Drain the eggs then cover with ice.
  6. Once all of the ice has melted and the eggs are cold, crack and peel.

To help the eggs peel easier, shock the hot eggs with ice water and the peel will come right off. Super fresh eggs are the hardest to peel regardless of cooking technique. When I know I’m going to be using a lot of boiled eggs, I try to buy them a couple weeks before I will need them to ensure they slide right out of the shells and look gorgeous.

Recipe for Deviled Egg Pasta Salad

Deviled Egg Pasta Salad! A rustic macaroni salad made with elbow noodles, chopped boiled eggs and a simple but perfectly seasoned dressing perfect for everything from burgers to Sunday dinner.
deviled egg, devilled egg, macaroni salad, pasta salad, boiled eggs, side dish, how to chop boiled eggs, easy, best, southern, recipe, mayonnaise, pickle juice
side dish, salad
Yield: 8 Servings
Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth
Deviled Egg Pasta Salad

Deviled Egg Pasta Salad

A rustic macaroni salad made with elbow noodles, chopped boiled eggs and a simple but perfectly seasoned dressing that makes an easy, tasty side dish perfect for everything from burgers to Sunday dinner.
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 25 Min

Ingredients

  • 2 cups macaroni noodles, uncooked
  • 12 boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 1/3 cups mayo, plus more if necessary
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar or pickle juice

Instructions

  1. Cook macaroni per manufacturer’s instructions in liberally salted water. Drain noodles then rinse in cold water. Drain noodles well then add to a mixing bowl. Don’t leave noodles to set and dry out. You want them to be slightly moist to absorb the seasonings but not dripping water.
  2. Add Dijon mustard, chives, salt, white pepper, onion powder and garlic powder to the macaroni then stir until well combined. Let pasta “marinate” in the seasonings for 15-20 minutes uncovered at room temperature. Doing this allows the pasta to soak up the flavors of the seasonings before adding the mayonnaise.
  3. Add chopped boiled eggs to mixing bowl with macaroni noodles.
  4. Combine mayonnaise and vinegar or pickle juice in a small bowl then mix well. Add mayo mixture to macaroni and eggs then gently stir until well combined.
  5. Taste for seasoning then add more to taste if needed. Add more mayo if desired (I tend to like my pasta salads dressed lightly but feel free to add more).
  6. Garnish with additional fresh chives if desired. I didn’t do it the day I took these photos but I often dust this with paprika and garnish with boiled egg slices.
  7. Serve or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. If made the night before you will likely need to add more mayo before serving as the noodles will soak up the dressing overnight.

Notes

  • Use sweet or dill pickle juice – whichever you type of pickle you enjoy in egg salad or deviled eggs. If you don’t use either, substitute white vinegar or skip this step. It just gives the salad a little zip.
  • If you enjoy pickle relish (sweet or dill), chopped celery or other fresh herbs in your egg salad, then definitely add them!
  • Substitute 1/2 teaspoon black pepper for the 1/4 teaspoon white pepper if needed.
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Deviled Egg Pasta Salad! A rustic macaroni salad made with elbow noodles, chopped boiled eggs and a simple but perfectly seasoned dressing that makes an easy but tasty side dish perfect for everything from burgers to Sunday dinner.