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Creamy Pasta Salad

Creamy pasta salad with tender rotini coated in a thick, tangy dressing and studded with diced bell peppers, olives, and cheddar. This easy pasta salad recipe is ideal for BBQ side dish potlucks, with a cool, creamy texture that clings to every pasta crevice.
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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
Creamy tangy 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
Mix-ins
  • 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
  • 1 paprika for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Cook the rotini in well-salted boiling water until just past al dente, then drain.
  2. Rinse the drained pasta with cold water until completely cooled, then drain well.
Make the creamy dressing
  1. Whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, mustard, sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper until smooth.
Assemble and chill
  1. Combine the cooled pasta with red bell pepper, green bell pepper, black olives, red onion, celery, and cheddar in a large bowl.
  2. Pour the dressing over the pasta and toss until everything is evenly coated.
  3. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour so the pasta absorbs the dressing.
Finish and serve
  1. If the pasta looks dry after chilling, stir in 2–3 tablespoons extra mayonnaise before serving.
  2. Dust with paprika just before serving for a bright top note.

Notes

Pro tip: rinse the pasta thoroughly with cold water until cooled so the dressing doesn’t loosen from residual heat. Refrigerate covered up to 4 days; it also freezes for up to 1 month, though the creamy texture may soften slightly after thawing. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat mayonnaise and sour cream to keep the tang while lowering total fat.