Creamy Pasta Salad is an essential side dish for any BBQs, potlucks, picnics, and other gatherings. This traditional pasta salad has a ton of flavor, lots of colorful vegetables, tossed in a rich creamy sauce. This savory creamy pasta salad is one of the most popular dishes of the summer and the perfect side dish to enjoy.
2 cups Elbow Macaroni
1 cup Frozen peas, thawed
1 cup diced Red Bell Pepper
1 cup diced Red Onion
1/2 cup Shredded Carrot
1/2 cup chopped Dill Pickles
1 Celery Rib, sliced thinly
MACARONI SALAD DRESSING;
1 cup Mayo
1/2 cup Sour Cream
2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tbsp Djon Mustard
1 Tsp Garlic Powder
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Black Pepper
INSTRUCTIONS:
As the water boils, add a heaping tablespoon of salt, and cook the noodles per the directions on the package.
Make sure you don’t overcook your pasta. Remove the noodles from the water using a colander. To prevent the noodles from sticking together, quickly rinse them with cold water and give them a little stir. Next, transfer the cooked noodles to a large bowl.
The dill pickles, red pepper, celery, red onion, the cooked peas and the noodles should all be mixed thoroughly in a large bowl. Put this aside and prepare your dressing.
** Red onion: soak it in cold water for a few minutes before adding it; this will lessen its raw flavor.
Mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to make the creamy dressing in a different bowl.
Once the dressing is ready, drizzle it over the pasta and veggies and gently toss until everything is coated evenly.
If necessary, add salt and pepper to taste when seasoning the creamy pasta salad.
Before serving, let the pasta soak up the dressing by covering your Creamy Pasta Salad with plastic wrap and putting it in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
Notes: While it’s in the refrigerator, cooked pasta enjoys soaking up dressing. Restoring the creaminess can be achieved by incorporating the additional dressing just prior to serving.
If macaroni salad is kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container, it can last for one to two days.
At your gathering, don’t let the creamy pasta salad sit out too long. To keep it cold, I suggest putting it back in the refrigerator!
Pasta: Make sure to not overcook the noodles. To avoid it becoming too soggy, especially while it’s sitting in the dressing, you want it cooked al dente.
Mayo: the foundation for a creamy dressing.
Sour cream: another creamy component to add to the dressing, sour cream’s tart flavor enhances the flavors of the dressing.
Vinegar: adds a little extra acid to give it taste.
Peas: give the pasta a delightful sweetness. If you’re not a fan of peas, you may substitute any other vegetable you choose, including corn or tomatoes.
Red Bell Pepper: a flavorful addition to pasta salad
Carrot: The addition of shredded carrot gives this recipe some texture and a sweet crunch.
Celery: give the pasta salad a burst of crunch.
Red onion: when finely diced, the red onion’s softer flavor blends in well with the other components.
Vegetables: vary the pasta salad’s tastes, textures, and hues. Additionally, you might add any vegetable to your creamy pasta salad.
