Irresistible Creamy Amish Pasta Salad

If you ask me, a good pasta salad is one of the best things about summer gatherings.

This creamy Amish pasta salad is the kind of side dish that disappears fast at potlucks and backyard barbecues. Tender pasta shells mix with crunchy celery, sweet peppers, and hard-boiled eggs in a tangy-sweet dressing.

The sauce combines mayonnaise, sour cream, and a touch of sugar with yellow mustard and apple cider vinegar for that classic Amish flavor. Fresh parsley, pimentos, and sweet pickle relish add little pops of color and taste throughout.

It’s a crowd-pleasing recipe that tastes even better the next day, making it perfect for picnics and cookouts.

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What Kind of Pasta Should I Use?

Medium shell pasta is the classic choice for this Amish pasta salad because those little pockets catch and hold onto all that creamy dressing. If you can’t find shells, other short pasta shapes like rotini, elbow macaroni, or bow ties will work just fine too. Just avoid long pasta like spaghetti or fettuccine since they don’t mix as well with all the chopped vegetables and dressing. When cooking your pasta, make sure to cook it al dente and rinse it with cold water after draining – this stops the cooking process and cools it down so it’s ready to mix with the other ingredients right away.

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Options for Substitutions

This pasta salad is pretty forgiving, so feel free to make a few swaps based on what you have:

• Medium shell pasta: You can use other pasta shapes like rotini, elbow macaroni, or bow ties. Just stick with a similar-sized pasta that can hold the creamy dressing well.
• Mayonnaise: If you want to lighten things up, you can replace half the mayo with Greek yogurt. For a dairy-free version, use vegan mayo – the taste will be pretty similar.
• Sour cream: Plain Greek yogurt works great as a substitute and adds a nice tang. You can also use additional mayo if that’s all you have on hand.
• Sweet pickle relish: Dill pickle relish can work if you prefer a less sweet flavor, or you can finely chop whole pickles. Just adjust the sugar in the dressing to taste.
• Pimentos: If you don’t have pimentos, diced red bell pepper makes a good substitute. You’ll get a similar color and a slightly sweeter crunch.
• Apple cider vinegar: White vinegar or white wine vinegar will work just fine. The flavor difference will be minimal in the finished salad.
• Eggs: The eggs are pretty important for that classic Amish pasta salad texture and flavor, so I’d recommend keeping them in if possible.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake people make with pasta salad is not rinsing the cooked pasta under cold water, which stops the cooking process and prevents the shells from turning mushy and clumping together. Another common error is adding the dressing while the pasta is still warm – this causes the mayonnaise to break down and get watery, so make sure everything is completely cooled before mixing. Don’t skip the chilling time either, as pasta salad needs at least 4 hours in the fridge for the flavors to blend properly and the dressing to thicken up. For extra flavor, reserve about 1/4 cup of the dressing and stir it in right before serving, since pasta tends to absorb moisture as it sits.

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What to Serve With Amish Pasta Salad?

This creamy pasta salad is perfect for potlucks and backyard barbecues, so it pairs naturally with all your favorite grilled foods. I love serving it alongside grilled chicken, burgers, or hot dogs for a complete summer meal. It also goes great with fried chicken, pulled pork sandwiches, or really any main dish that needs a cool, creamy side. Since the pasta salad is already pretty filling with the eggs and mayo dressing, you might just need some fresh fruit like watermelon or a light coleslaw to round out the plate.

Storage Instructions

Store: This pasta salad actually gets better after sitting in the fridge for a few hours, so it’s perfect for making ahead! Keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You might notice it absorbs some of the dressing as it sits, so feel free to stir in a little extra mayo if it seems dry.

Make Ahead: I love whipping this up the night before a picnic or potluck. The flavors really meld together overnight, making it taste even better the next day. Just give it a good stir before serving since the dressing tends to settle at the bottom.

Serve: Always serve this salad cold, straight from the fridge. If you’re taking it to a gathering, keep it in a cooler with ice packs since it has mayo and eggs. It shouldn’t sit out at room temperature for more than 2 hours to keep everything safe and fresh.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 3500-3800
• Protein: 65-75 g
• Fat: 210-230 g
• Carbohydrates: 350-380 g

Ingredients

For the pasta mixture:

• 1 lb pasta shells
• 6 eggs (hard-boiled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces)
• 1 cup celery, finely diced
• 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 2 oz jarred pimentos, drained
• 1 cup green bell pepper (diced into 1/4-inch pieces)
• 1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

For the dressing:

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon celery seed
• 1.5 cups mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2.5 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 1.5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Step 1: Prepare the Mise en Place and Hard-Boil the Eggs

• 6 eggs
• 1 cup celery, finely diced
• 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup green bell pepper, diced
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 oz jarred pimentos, drained

Start by bringing a pot of salted water to a boil for the eggs and pasta.

Gently place 6 eggs into the boiling water and cook for 10-12 minutes until fully hard-boiled.

While the eggs cook, prepare all your vegetables: finely dice the celery, red onion, and green bell pepper into the specified sizes, chop the fresh parsley, and drain the jarred pimentos.

Having everything prepped before you start cooking the pasta ensures a smooth assembly once everything is ready.

Step 2: Cook the Pasta and Prepare the Eggs

• 1 lb pasta shells
• cooked eggs from Step 1

In the same pot of boiling water used for the eggs, add 1 lb of pasta shells and cook according to package directions until al dente, then drain well and set aside to cool slightly.

Remove the hard-boiled eggs from their water, cool them under cold running water, peel them, and chop into 1/2-inch pieces.

I find letting the pasta cool for just a few minutes before mixing makes it easier to combine with the other ingredients without the dressing getting too warm.

Step 3: Prepare the Creamy Dressing

• 1.5 cups mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2.5 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 1.5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon celery seed

In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, yellow mustard, and apple cider vinegar until smooth.

Stir in the sugar, salt, garlic powder, smoked paprika, freshly ground black pepper, and celery seed until all seasonings are fully incorporated and the dressing is well combined.

This creates a balanced, slightly tangy and subtly sweet dressing that’s the heart of this Amish-style salad.

Step 4: Assemble the Pasta Salad

• cooked pasta from Step 2
• chopped eggs from Step 2
• prepared vegetables from Step 1
• 1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
• creamy dressing from Step 3

In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta from Step 2 with the chopped eggs, diced celery, red onion, green bell pepper, pimentos, and sweet pickle relish.

Pour the creamy dressing from Step 3 over the pasta mixture and fold everything together gently but thoroughly, making sure every component is evenly coated with the dressing.

The folding motion keeps the ingredients intact rather than breaking them apart.

Step 5: Chill and Finish

Transfer the pasta salad to a serving dish and refrigerate for at least several hours or preferably overnight.

This chilling time allows the flavors to meld beautifully and the salad to become creamy throughout.

Just before serving, I like to give it a gentle stir and sprinkle a pinch of smoked paprika on top for a nice visual touch.

Irresistible Creamy Amish Pasta Salad

Delicious Irresistible Creamy Amish Pasta Salad recipe with step-by-step instructions.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings 12 cups of pasta salad

Calories 3650 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the pasta mixture

• 1 lb pasta shells
• 6 eggs (hard-boiled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces)
• 1 cup celery, finely diced
• 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 2 oz jarred pimentos, drained
• 1 cup green bell pepper (diced into 1/4-inch pieces)
• 1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

For the dressing

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon celery seed
• 1.5 cups mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2.5 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 1.5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

 

• Start by bringing a pot of salted water to a boil for the eggs and pasta. Gently place 6 eggs into the boiling water and cook for 10-12 minutes until fully hard-boiled. While the eggs cook, prepare all your vegetables: finely dice the celery, red onion, and green bell pepper into the specified sizes, chop the fresh parsley, and drain the jarred pimentos. Having everything prepped before you start cooking the pasta ensures a smooth assembly once everything is ready.
• In the same pot of boiling water used for the eggs, add 1 lb of pasta shells and cook according to package directions until al dente, then drain well and set aside to cool slightly. Remove the hard-boiled eggs from their water, cool them under cold running water, peel them, and chop into 1/2-inch pieces. I find letting the pasta cool for just a few minutes before mixing makes it easier to combine with the other ingredients without the dressing getting too warm.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, yellow mustard, and apple cider vinegar until smooth. Stir in the sugar, salt, garlic powder, smoked paprika, freshly ground black pepper, and celery seed until all seasonings are fully incorporated and the dressing is well combined. This creates a balanced, slightly tangy and subtly sweet dressing that's the heart of this Amish-style salad.
• In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta from Step 2 with the chopped eggs, diced celery, red onion, green bell pepper, pimentos, and sweet pickle relish. Pour the creamy dressing from Step 3 over the pasta mixture and fold everything together gently but thoroughly, making sure every component is evenly coated with the dressing. The folding motion keeps the ingredients intact rather than breaking them apart.
• Transfer the pasta salad to a serving dish and refrigerate for at least several hours or preferably overnight. This chilling time allows the flavors to meld beautifully and the salad to become creamy throughout. Just before serving, I like to give it a gentle stir and sprinkle a pinch of smoked paprika on top for a nice visual touch.