Creamy Pasta Salad

Name: Pasta Salad Recipe
Prep time: 75 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 85 min
Ingredients: 16 ounces ditalini pasta ((or whatever pasta you have on hand). 1 package); 1 cup broccoli florets (chopped); ½ red onion (minced); 1 red bell pepper (minced); 1 cucumber (diced); 3.8 ounces sliced olives (1 can, drained); 1 cup Colby Jack Cheese (cubed); 1 cup mayonnaise; 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar; 1 teaspoon sugar; ½ teaspoon pepper; ½ teaspoon salt

Recipe Ingredients:

Pasta: use a box of uncooked ditalini pasta, (or whatever pasta you have)

Vegetables: use fresh broccoli florets chopped, minced red onions, minced red bell pepper, and diced cucumber

Olives: you can use a can of drained sliced olive

Cheese: use cubed Colby Jack Cheese or your favorite flavor of cubed cheese

Dressing Ingredients:

Mayo: use your favorite brand of mayonnaise to create the creamy base of this easy pasta salad recipe

Vinegar: use white wine vinegar in the dressing to balance the sweetness of the mayonnaise

Sugar: white sugar helps add sweetness and thin the creamy dressing of this classic macaroni salad

Seasoning: you can keep it simple by using just kosher salt and ground black pepper

How To Make Pasta Salad:

Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente. Rinse well with cold water until pasta is cold.

Place cooked and cooled pasta in a large mixing or serving bowl.

Mix in broccoli florets, red onion, red bell pepper, cucumber, sliced olives and cheese.

Whisk together all dressing ingredients and pour over pasta and other ingredients.

Gently fold in the dressing until all ingredients are evenly coated.

Cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions about making homemade pasta salad:

Should I salt the water?

When boiling the noodles, one way to add even more flavor to a pasta salad is to use a large pot of salted water.

Type of pasta to use:

The great thing about pasta salad is that you really can use any pasta shape you want. Here are some of our favorite pasta shapes:
Rotini pasta
Bow tie pasta
Elbow macaroni

Does this recipe use fresh herbs?

To keep it simple, this recipe does not use fresh herbs as it is written. However, you can add some fresh parsley or fresh dill if you wish!

Type of vinegar to use:

Our go-to choice for vinegar is white wine vinegar but you could also use red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar as well. You could also try using olive oil instead.

Close up view of Creamy Pasta Salad with a wooden serving spoon.

Expert Tips:

Rinse your cooked pasta in a colander with cold water until the pasta is completely cold. This helps your pasta to not stick together because of the extra starches you are washing away.

Be sure to cut your vegetables, especially red onion, very small (more of a mince than a dice) so they aren’t too overpowering in this Creamy Pasta Salad.

I love using simple shortcuts when cooking. I used pre-sliced olives and Colby Jack cheese sticks that I then cut into cubes rather than buying an entire block of cheese.

What To Serve With This Recipe:

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Questions & Reviews

Melissa Torres says:

Great way to get some yummy, crunchy veggies in everyone!
Tom says:

Ur best foods mayo. Looks a lot like a jar of hellmann's mayonnaise. I have never seen it before, is it the same.
Cyd says:

Any Mayo will be fine. We have even used store brands.
Kelly Ambrose says:

So I love this but I feel like the red onion flavor is over powering everything else :( any idea on how to tame it?
Jennifer Hippe says:

I noticed that too when I moved from the west coast to the midwest. Best foods & Hellman's are the same! Says so right on the jar :)
Janelle says:

You have to eat it that day. I made this for an open house the evening prior. I served it less then 12 hours the following day and it was super dry. I whipped up another batch of the dressing and mixed it in. Still overwhelmingly dry. I think it’s one of those that has to be served after making it. It does say in the pin that she usually doesn’t save it, that it’s all gone. I should have picked a recipe that said it stored well for a make ahead event.
Dora berzoza says:

Do you add broccoli cooked or uncooked
Cyndi says:

Try using a sweet onion, such as a Vidalia, in place of the red onion. The flavor will be milder.
Cyd says:

We add the broccoli uncooked.
Jill says:

Is the dressing sweet? I see the recipe has just a little sugar.
Cyd says:

It's not super sweet. But the tangy flavor of the mayo adds the perfect amount of sweetness.
Mary Jane Hall says:

I've always wondered why the red onion restaurants have on their salad bar doesn't have that hot onion taste. The red onion I'd buy wasn't nearly as good. I'm happy to share a tip I learned from someone on the Food Network. To take away that hot onion taste, all you have to do is soak the sliced red onion in cold water at least 30 minutes before serving or adding to your fresh salad. I normally let it soak a littler longer, up to an hour. Even though a red onion is called a sweet onion, it's never been sweet to me, probably because I use the delicious sweet Vidalia onion. A tip I learned from my sister who lived in Georgia is, the flatter the onion, the sweeter it is. But a red onion does have that distinctive taste needed for many dishes. I keep both onions on hand.
Alicia says:

Can you use something else besides white wine vinegar? I couldn’t find it in the store.
Cyd says:

A rice vinegar or cider vinegar could be used. But add sparingly until you get a taste you like.
Kenna says:

can you use plain white vinegar?
Cyd says:

Start with 1 teaspoon and taste test it first. Then if you feel it needs more, add the 2nd teaspoon.
Ann says:

Very similar to a salad I concocted several years ago, but I include chopped celery and cooked chicken, using a 1 to 1 ratio of mayo and ranch dressing to finish it off. Easy-peasy, and everyone always wants the recipe.
Beth Beckman says:

Could you start including nutritional information with your recipes? If that is possible, I would be more interested in trying them!
Pcam says:

I add feta cheese to this and it is amazing! I also use green onion instead of red.
Brenda says:

Try soaking the onions in water a half hour or so before you use them, works on yellow onions too.
Shayna says:

Very Tasty! I added bacon but otherwise followed the recipe exactly!
Jill says:

Could you use plain Greek yogurt instead of Mayo?
Momma Cyd says:

Yes, you could use Plain Greek Yogurt in place of the mayo, but it will change the taste a little.
MamaAsh says:

I like making this on Sunday and having leftovers for an easylunch throughout the week!
Debbie says:

Yes, they are the same. I thinks it’s called Hellmans in east coast, best foods on west coast.
Linda Starkey says:

Pasta always absorbs the dressing and one batch is definitely not enough. Going to make another batch and hope that doesn’t the trick.
KrisD says:

We love this pasta salad. This is our favorite recipe and go to. I always take it to BBQ's and I am asked for the recipe. I send them your way. I do leave out the olives and cut back a little on the red onion only because this is our preference. Thank you for all your wonderful recipes!
Angie says:

This salad is a favorite every time I make it. The pasta absorbs a lot of the sauce so I triple it and mix the last bit in right before serving so it's creamy and delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
Renee says:

Took others advice and doubled the dressing. Also added extra tsp sugar. Definitely a keeper
Elaine Barrington says:

Yum! I make this a lot! Everyone loves it!