1-First, boil 8 oz of dry elbow macaroni noodles in salted water based on package instructions, which usually takes about 7 minutes. Once done, drain and rinse with cold water right away, then toss with 1 teaspoon of olive oil to keep the noodles from sticking together. This step helps maintain the pasta’s texture and prevents it from turning mushy.

2-In a large bowl, combine the cooked macaroni with the ½ cup finely diced sweet gherkins, ¾ cup finely diced red bell pepper, ⅓ cup thinly sliced celery, ⅓ cup finely diced red onion, and 2 large finely diced hard boiled eggs. For the dressing, whisk together the ¾ cup mayonnaise (olive oil variety recommended), ¼ cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons sweet pickle juice, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder, and ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper (if you want a bit of heat) in a medium bowl.

3-Pour the dressing over the macaroni mixture and toss everything until it’s well combined. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour to let the flavors blend. Before serving, give it a gentle stir to mix everything evenly. The total preparation time is about 15 minutes, plus cooking and chilling, for roughly 1 hour and 22 minutes of hands-on and wait time.