Go Back

Creamy Pasta Salad

Creamy pasta salad with tender rotini coated in a thick, tangy dressing and studded with bell peppers, olives, and cheddar. This easy pasta salad recipe keeps the pasta just past al dente for a classic potluck-ready texture.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chilling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta
  • 1 lb rotini or elbow macaroni pasta Use rotini for best crevice-catching texture.
Creamy dressing
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 0.25 cup sour cream
  • 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp yellow mustard
  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 0.5 salt and pepper to taste Add gradually until the dressing tastes balanced.
Vegetables and cheese
  • 0.5 cup red bell pepper, finely diced
  • 0.5 cup green bell pepper, finely diced
  • 0.5 cup black olives, sliced
  • 0.25 cup red onion, finely diced
  • 0.5 cup celery, finely diced
  • 0.5 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Garnish
  • 0.25 tsp paprika for garnish Dust right before serving for the brightest color.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil and cook the rotini or elbow macaroni until just past al dente, 8-10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water until completely cooled, then spread on a sheet pan so it doesn’t steam.
Make the tangy creamy dressing
  1. In a large bowl, whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, yellow mustard, granulated sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and pepper until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Scrape the bottom and sides so no streaks remain.
Combine
  1. Add cooled pasta, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, black olives, red onion, and celery to the bowl and toss to distribute the vegetables evenly. Fold in shredded cheddar so it coats lightly with the mixture.
Dress and chill
  1. Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture and toss until everything is evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour so the pasta absorbs the tangy creaminess.
Finish and serve
  1. After chilling, check the texture and stir in 2-3 tablespoons extra mayonnaise if it looks too dry. Dust with paprika just before serving for a fresh pop of color.

Notes

For the best creamy texture, rinse the pasta until fully cooled; warm pasta will melt the dressing and thin it out. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days (it thickens as it chills). Freezing is not recommended because mayonnaise-based dressings can separate. For a lighter option, use light mayonnaise and reduced-fat cheddar while keeping the same vinegar-and-mustard ratio for flavor balance.