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.