Photo by Joseph De Leo; styled by Mariya Yufest

It's hard to argue with the beauty and simplicity of a classic egg salad sandwich. Hard-boiled eggs mingling with mayonnaise, sandwiched between two slices of bread -- it's economical and portable egg-on-egg action. It's also easy to completely destroy it. Overcook the eggs and they turn chalky. A heavy hand with the mayo results in a bland, goopy mess that has no intention of staying inside the confines of the bread. Take a bite and the entire salad falls out the other end. It's what bad childhood food memories are made of -- a messy, mushy, monotone affair. This recipe fixes all of these problems. And if the deviled egg can make a comeback, so can egg salad.

What makes this egg salad both interesting and successful is the unexpectedly compatible trio of three fairly narcissistic ingredients: pistachios, arugula, and curry powder. Each of these tends to demand a good deal of attention on the plate: arugula shouts over other salad greens with its peppery bite; pistachios glam up desserts with their psychedelic green-to-purple coloring; and curry powder throws its weight around in sauces like an insecure tween. But together in this salad? They're in harmony, adding just the right amount of crunch, pep, and spice. The bread, no longer interested in taking a backseat (and risking a soggy fate), keeps it all in place in the form of pita.

Curried Egg Salad Sandwiches with Pistachios and Arugula

Serves 4

4 eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
2 tablespoons chopped pistachios
Salt and black pepper, to taste
2 cups baby arugula
4 small pita breads, cut in half

See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.

What's your spin on egg salad? Share your ideas and serving suggestions in the comments section below.

Like this post? See the Easy Everyday topic from last week: Carrot Dressing.