Creamy Pasta Salad – A Beautiful Mess

I am so excited to share this creamy pasta salad recipe with you today! It’s one of the most delicious pasta salads I have made and my children loved it, too. It’s the perfect side dish for a barbecue season and summer gatherings.

Pasta salad is the warm weather version of mac and cheese—the best comfort food! Mix up a big batch and watch it disappear.

Summer salads: Classic Potato Salad, Pea with Bacon Salad, Broccoli Salad, Ambrosia Salad, Chicken Salad, Egg Salad, Macaroni Salad, Fried Green Tomato Salad.

Ingredients in Pasta Salad:

• Rotini Pasta – While you can use any shape of pasta for this recipe, I find that rotini is perfect for soaking in our delicious creamy sauce.
• Tomatoes – Sliced cherry tomatoes add so much to this pasta salad.
• Bell Peppers – Chopped red bell peppers are a delicious pasta salad topping.
• Peas – Frozen peas are a usual suspect in my pasta dishes because they are delicious and sweet.
• Cucumber – Chopped cucumber adds a little crunch.
• Carrot – Shredded carrot adds texture and some sweet crunch to this recipe.
• Onion – Chopped onion is an essential ingredient to boost the flavor of this dish.

Creamy Pasta Salad Dressing Ingredients:

• Mayonnaise – Tangy mayonnaise is the base to make our dressing creamy.
• Sour Cream – Another creamy ingredient that adds flavor and depth to the sauce.
• Lemon Juice – My favorite summer ingredient! Lemon juice brings out all the flavors and adds some tart.
• White Vinegar – A little extra acid for flavor.
• Minced Garlic, Dried – You can also sub this for garlic powder. I enjoy the texture of the dried minced garlic. I am one of those people who add a little extra garlic to every recipe.
• Parsley, Dried – For a savory finish.
• Salt and Pepper – To taste.

How to make Creamy Pasta Salad:

Begin by boiling a pot of water until the noodles are cooked a little past al dente. I let them soak a few extra minutes before straining. Extra soft noodles will stay soft once they are cold.

Strain the water out and allow the pasta to cool before mixing.

Mix up your sauce. In a separate bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, white vinegar, dried minced garlic, dried parsley and salt and pepper to taste.

Prepare your chopped vegetables. Feel free to add extra vegetables for a crunchier and more healthy salad.

In a large bowl, mix the cooled noodles, sauce and vegetables together. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Tips for Making:

• Cook your pasta slightly past al dente for extra softness that helps your salad stay soft when chilled.
• Adjust the choice of vegetables to suit your tastes and add extra vegetables for a more crunchy and healthy dish. Choose lots of colorful veggies.
• Rotini pasta or macaroni are great choices for this recipe.

Serving Suggestions/Goes Great With:

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