Go Back

French Dressing Pasta Salad

French dressing pasta salad is a retro picnic-style side dish with elbow macaroni coated in tangy-sweet Catalina-style dressing. It’s finished with crisp vegetables and cheddar for a bright, savory bite after chilling.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 680
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Elbow macaroni or rotini
  • 1 lb elbow macaroni or rotini
French dressing
  • 1 cup French dressing (Catalina)
Vegetables
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup cucumber, diced
  • 0.5 cup green bell pepper, diced
  • 0.5 cup red onion, diced
Cheese
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese, cubed
Seasoning
  • 0.25 Salt and pepper to taste Use to taste; split as needed between salt and black pepper.

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Cook elbow macaroni or rotini according to package directions until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water until no longer hot.
  2. Visually confirm the pasta is rinsed and chilled, with pieces separate rather than clumped.
Build the salad
  1. Add the cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, green bell pepper, red onion, and cheddar cheese to a large bowl. Spread the mixture so vegetables and cheese are evenly distributed.
  2. Pour in French dressing and toss until every pasta piece looks coated in an orange-red layer. Continue tossing until no dry pasta spots remain.
  3. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then toss again briefly to distribute the seasoning. Taste once more for balance.
Chill, then serve
  1. Cover and refrigerate the salad for at least 2 hours to allow flavors to develop. Chill until cold all the way through.
  2. Right before serving, toss again and loosen with additional French dressing if needed. Serve chilled with a visible glossy coating on the pasta.

Notes

Pro tip: rinse pasta well after draining so it stays separate and truly clings to the French dressing. Refrigerate in a covered container up to 4 days; freeze is not recommended due to vegetable texture. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat cheddar and a lower-sugar French dressing while keeping the same vegetable amounts.