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Creamy Pasta Salad

Creamy pasta salad with tender rotini coated in a thick, tangy dressing and loaded with bell peppers, olives, and cheddar. A classic pasta salad for potlucks—chilled until the noodles fully absorb the creamy flavor, then finished with paprika.
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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 salad base
  • 1 lb rotini or elbow macaroni pasta
  • 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
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste
  • 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
  • 1 paprika for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil, then cook rotini or elbow macaroni until just past al dente, about 8–10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water until completely cooled, then spread on a sheet pan and let cool briefly so steam doesn’t soften the noodles.
Make the creamy tangy dressing
  1. Whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, yellow mustard, granulated sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper until smooth. Stop once the dressing is uniform and glossy, with no sour-cream streaks.
Assemble and coat
  1. Combine cooled pasta, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, black olives, red onion, and celery in a large bowl. Toss just to distribute the vegetables evenly.
  2. Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture and toss until everything is evenly coated. Add shredded cheddar and toss again so the cheese is tucked throughout rather than clumped.
Chill and finish
  1. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour so the pasta absorbs the dressing. If the salad seems dry after chilling, stir in 2–3 tablespoons extra mayonnaise before serving.
  2. Dust with paprika just before serving for color and a light smoky note. Serve chilled, with the dressing clinging to every piece of pasta.

Notes

For the best texture, rinse the pasta well with cold water until no warmth remains, then coat promptly so it doesn’t dry out. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days; for best results, stir before serving. Freezing isn’t recommended because the creamy dressing can separate after thawing. To make it lighter, substitute part-skim or Greek yogurt for up to half the mayonnaise while keeping the same vinegar and mustard ratios.