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Some recipes are trendy for about eleven minutes. And then there’s this creamy pasta salad recipe, which has somehow survived every food trend, every Pinterest era, and every backyard barbecue and church potluck since approximately 1987. Honestly? Good. It deserves to.
This is the kind of pasta salad that absolutely disappears first at cookouts and potlucks. It’s not flashy or complicated, but it’s everything you want in a classic summer side dish, tender pasta, crunchy vegetables, cheddar cheese, and a tangy creamy dressing that somehow gets even better after sitting in the fridge for a few hours.
I’ve made this particular version forever (it’s my favorite because of a. the flavor and b. the size). It lands right in the middle between classic and actually flavorful. It’s creamy without feeling heavy, tangy enough to keep it interesting, and packed with enough texture that it doesn’t just taste like cold noodles and mayonnaise. Which, unfortunately, a lot of pasta salads do.
It’s also worth noting that I leave the tomatoes and black olives out because I personally don’t enjoy either one in pasta salad (or ever, actually, haha). This feels a little controversial for a “classic” pasta salad, but I stand by it. If you love them, please toss them in.
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Why You’ll Love This Creamy Pasta Salad Recipe
This pasta salad is simple, dependable, and extremely good cold straight from the fridge. It uses everyday ingredients, holds up well for gatherings, and somehow tastes even better as it sits. The dressing is creamy and tangy without being overly sweet, the vegetables add crunch, and the cheese makes it feel like an actual pasta salad instead of just a bowl of vegetables trying their best.
If you’re looking for an easy creamy pasta salad recipe for BBQs, cookouts, or summer dinners, this one’s reliable in all the best ways.
Ingredient Notes
- Rotini is my favorite here (and everywhere) because all the twists catch the dressing really well. Elbow macaroni also works if you want full old-school potluck energy (it looks very vintage).
- The combination of mayo and sour cream keeps the dressing creamy without making it too heavy or overly rich. Sour cream adds a little tang and helps balance everything out. You can use light or regular sour cream.
- The white vinegar gives this pasta salad that classic tangy deli-style flavor that works really well with the creamy dressing. It keeps the pasta salad from tasting flat or overly heavy. If you prefer a slightly softer, milder flavor, you can substitute apple cider vinegar instead.
- Use a block of cheddar cheese and cube it yourself if possible. It holds up better and tastes better than pre-shredded cheese in cold pasta salads.
- You can throw in any veggies you like, but my go-to’s are cucumber, celery, red onion, and peas for crunch and texture. Cherry tomatoes and black olives are optional too, if you like them. I do not. Respectfully. So I omit them.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the rotini until just slightly past al dente. Pasta salad tends to taste better with softer pasta rather than very firm pasta. Drain and rinse under cold water until completely cooled. Let it drain well or even gently pat try with a paper towel to remove some moisture.
- While the pasta is cooking, whisk the mayonnaise, sour cream, white vinegar, Dijon mustard, sugar, sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder together in a medium to large mixing bowl until smooth.
- Add the cooled pasta, cheddar cheese, cucumber, celery, red onion, and peas to the bowl. Stir until everything is evenly coated in the dressing.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. The flavor gets much better once it has time to chill.
- Give the pasta salad a quick stir before serving. If it thickens too much in the fridge, add a small splash of milk or an extra spoonful of mayo to loosen it back up.
Tip
I started making smaller pasta salads a few years ago when it finally dawned on me that I probably don’t need enough to feed the entire neighborhood on a random Wednesday night with my homemade cheeseburger. So now I scale down most of my favorites for everyday use. But don’t worry, if you need to make a massive BBQ-sized amount, I added notes for that in the tips below.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- This recipe makes a smaller everyday batch, but you can easily double everything for BBQs, potlucks, and big summer gatherings. When doubled, it makes A LOT. Consider yourself warned.
- Dice the vegetables fairly small so you get a little bit of everything in each bite.
- If you like a less tangy dressing, decrease the white vinegar to 1 tablespoon instead of two.
- You can use light or regular sour cream. In a cold pasta salad like this, the difference is pretty minimal because the mayo is still doing most of the heavy lifting for creaminess and flavor, so don’t fret if all you have is light. And speaking of mayo, I love avocado mayo in pasta salads. If you have’t tried it, you must.
- Pasta salad absorbs dressing as it sits, so don’t panic if it looks thicker the next day. This is totally normal. Just add a splash of milk or a little mayo to loosen it back up.
- Freshly cubed cheese works significantly better than bagged shredded cheese in pasta salads. It’s well with the extra 7 minutes of your time and effort, just trust me.
- This is a great make-ahead recipe for BBQs, holidays, and summer dinners. Pasta salad can sit for 24 hours easily and is still very good after 3-4 days.
Mixing Bowls
These sturdy stoneware mixing bowls are perfect for baking, prepping, serving, and everyday kitchen use.
Storage Recommendations
Store leftover pasta salad covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Stir before serving again, and add a little mayo or milk if needed to freshen the dressing back up.
I wouldn’t recommend freezing this pasta salad. It doesn’t freeze particularly well, which honestly feels fair. Some foods are freezer foods. Pasta salad knows its limits.
Creamy Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Pasta salad
- 8 oz rotini pasta (may use elbow for an old-fashioned feel)
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese (off the block and cubed small)
- 1/2 cup cucumber (cubed small)
- 1/4 cup celery (diced, about 1 big stalk)
- 1/4 cup red onion (diced)
- 1/4 cup peas (frozen, no need to thaw first)
Dressing
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise (any kind, but avocado mayo is tasty)
- 1/4 cup sour cream (light or regular)
- 2 TBS white vinegar (may use apple cider vinegar or decrease to 1 tablespoon for less a less tangy dressing)
- 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp sea salt (may reduce to 1/2 teaspoon if sensitive to salt)
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
Optional add-ins
- cherry tomatoes
- sliced black olives
- dicedham
- crispy bacon
- chopped pickles
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the rotini until just slightly past al dente. Pasta salad tends to taste better with softer pasta rather than very firm pasta.8 oz rotini pasta
- Drain and rinse under cold water until completely cooled. Let it drain well.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, white vinegar, Dijon mustard, sugar, sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder until smooth.1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup sour cream, 2 TBS white vinegar, 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1 tsp sea salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp onion powder
- Add the cooled pasta, cheddar cheese, cucumber, celery, red onion, and peas to the bowl. Stir until everything is evenly coated in the dressing.1/2 cup cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup cucumber, 1/4 cup celery, 1/4 cup red onion, 1/4 cup peas
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. The flavor gets much better once it has time to chill.
- Give the pasta salad a quick stir before serving. If it thickens too much in the fridge, add a small splash of milk or an extra spoonful of mayo to loosen it back up.
- Store leftover pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Pasta salad does not freeze well.
Notes
- This recipe makes a smaller everyday batch of pasta salad, but you can easily double everything for BBQs, potlucks, and big summer gatherings. The double batch makes a lot.
- For a less tangy dressing use only 1 tablespoon of white vinegar.
- Dice the vegetables fairly small so you get a little bit of everything in each bite.
- Pasta salad absorbs dressing as it sits, so don’t panic if it looks thicker the next day. Just add a splash of milk or a little mayo to bring it right back.
- This is a great make-ahead recipe for BBQs, holidays, and summer dinners. Pasta salad can sit for 24 hours easy and is still very good after 3-4 days.
- Freshly cubed cheese works significantly better than bagged shredded cheese in this pasta salad.
