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Creamy pasta salad in a bowl with a spoon on top, ready to eat.
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Creamy Pasta Salad

Course Snacks, Sides, & Appetizers
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Chill Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 253kcal
Author Kristine Underwood

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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 253kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 437mg | Potassium: 124mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 180IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 1mg