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Creamy Pasta Salad

Creamy pasta salad with colorful vegetables and a tangy mayo-sour cream dressing, tossed until every bite is coated. This classic side dish is chilled for 2 hours so the flavors meld and the pasta stays vibrant for picnics and potlucks.
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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: 780
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta and salad
  • 1 lb rotini or bow-tie pasta
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 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
  • 0.25 Salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Cook rotini or bow-tie pasta according to package directions, then drain and rinse with cold water until chilled.
  2. Spread the drained pasta on a sheet pan and set aside until fully cooled before mixing.
Make the creamy dressing
  1. Whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl until smooth.
Assemble the pasta salad
  1. Add cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, celery, and shredded carrots to the dressing.
  2. Toss until everything is well coated so the vegetables are evenly distributed throughout.
Chill and serve
  1. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow flavors to meld.
  2. Toss again before serving and adjust seasonings if needed.

Notes

For the best texture, rinse the pasta thoroughly with cold water so it doesn’t clump. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; for crisp-tender vegetables, stir once after 1 hour of chilling. Freezing is not recommended because the creamy dressing can break. For a lighter option, swap mayonnaise for light mayonnaise or a 50/50 mix of mayonnaise and Greek yogurt.