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Creamy Pasta Salad

Creamy pasta salad with tender rotini coated in a thick, tangy dressing and packed with crisp bell peppers, olives, celery, and cheddar. This classic pasta salad tastes even better after chilling, so it’s an easy potluck and BBQ side dish option.
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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 and vegetables
  • 1 lb rotini or elbow macaroni pasta
  • 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
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
  • 0.25 salt and pepper to taste
  • 0.25 paprika for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil, then cook the rotini (or elbow macaroni) until just past al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water until completely cooled, then spread out to cool.
Make the creamy tangy dressing
  1. Whisk the mayonnaise, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, yellow mustard, granulated sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and pepper until smooth. Stop when the dressing looks fully combined and glossy.
Combine and coat
  1. In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, black olives, red onion, celery, and shredded cheddar. Toss gently so the add-ins are evenly distributed.
  2. Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture and toss until everything is evenly coated. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl so no dry pasta remains.
Chill and finish
  1. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour so the pasta absorbs the dressing, then stir before serving. If it seems too dry, stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons extra mayonnaise until creamy.
  2. Dust with paprika just before serving for a bright, lightly speckled top. Serve cold for best texture.

Notes

For best creamy texture, rinse the pasta thoroughly until fully cool so it won’t clump or steam-wilt the vegetables. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; stir well before serving and add a splash of mayo only if needed. Freezing isn’t recommended because the mayonnaise-based dressing can break when thawed. Dietary swap: use reduced-fat mayonnaise (and the same amounts of sour cream) for a lighter version while keeping the tangy flavor.