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Creamy Pasta Salad

Creamy pasta salad with rotini and crisp vegetables tossed in a tangy mayonnaise-sour cream dressing. Chilled for at least 2 hours so the flavors meld and the pasta stays vibrant.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta
  • 1 lb rotini or bow-tie pasta
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Dressing
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Vegetables
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup cucumber, diced
  • 0.5 cup red onion, finely diced
  • 0.5 cup celery, diced
  • 0.5 cup shredded carrots

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Cook rotini or bow-tie pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water until cool, with no lingering steam.
Make the creamy dressing
  1. Whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until smooth and evenly combined. Stop when the dressing looks glossy with no streaks.
Toss and chill
  1. Add cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, celery, and shredded carrots to the dressing. Toss until every piece of pasta is coated and vegetables look evenly distributed.
  2. Refrigerate the pasta salad for at least 2 hours to allow flavors to meld. Cover and chill until it’s cold throughout.
  3. Toss again before serving and adjust seasonings if needed. Taste and re-season so the dressing is balanced and vegetables remain crisp.

Notes

For clean, flavorful bites, rinse the cooked pasta with cold water and dry off any excess clinging water before mixing. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; it also freezes poorly because the creamy dressing can separate after thawing. For a lighter option, swap half the mayonnaise with Greek yogurt for a tangier, reduced-fat dressing while keeping the same chill time.