Go Back

Creamy Pasta Salad

Creamy pasta salad with rotini and crunchy vegetables in a thick, tangy mayo-sour cream dressing. Chilled for at least 2 hours, it turns vibrant and cohesive for potlucks, picnics, and summer tables.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
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
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

rotini or bow-tie pasta
  • 1 lb rotini or bow-tie pasta
dressing base
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 0.25 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

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Cook rotini or bow-tie pasta according to package directions until tender, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Let it cool completely so the dressing stays creamy and not runny (about 10 minutes), with the pasta looking cool and separate.
Make the creamy dressing
  1. Whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper in a large bowl until smooth and glossy. The mixture should look thick with no streaks of mustard or sour cream.
Combine and coat
  1. Add the cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, celery, and shredded carrots to the dressing. Mix until every piece is coated, with vegetables clearly visible and clinging to the creamy white sauce.
Chill
  1. Refrigerate the pasta salad for at least 2 hours so the flavors meld. It should look firmer as it chills, with dressing coating more tightly around the pasta.
Finish and serve
  1. Toss again before serving and adjust seasonings if needed. Taste after tossing, and stop when the balance of tang and salt looks right.

Notes

For best texture, rinse with cold water and cool the pasta before mixing so the dressing stays thick and coats instead of loosening. Refrigerate in an airtight container for 3-4 days; freezer not recommended due to vegetable crispness. For a lighter version, use light mayonnaise (and keep sour cream) to reduce calories while preserving the creamy tang.