Creamy Rotini Veggie Pasta Salad is a classic pasta salad for picnics, potlucks and barbecues. Perfectly cooked pasta is tossed with just enough veggies and lightly coated in a tangy mayo dressing. Make up a batch to liven up any lunch or dinner.
I am very particular about any kind of “salad” with mayonnaise in it. I have had more than my fair share of heavy, overly sweet pasta salads with mushy noodles or undercooked veggies. I can’t stomach the store-bought kind that swims in heavy duty mayo and something that makes it yellow. And really, the eater of any “salad” should be able to identify the ingredients that they are about to ingest.
The Secret to Perfect Pasta Salad
The secret to perfect Pasta Salad (besides the perfect dressing for it) is perfectly cooked ingredients. The pasta should be cooked in salted water until just done and then drained and cooled without rinsing. I like to spread just cooked noodles out on a baking sheet then pop them in the freezer for 10 minutes to cool them down super fast. Any vegetables should be finely chopped so that they fit on the fork well and ingredients like broccoli should be steamed until just tender.
Creamy Rotini Veggie Pasta Salad is really an indulgence for me. Just because there are a few stray vegetables roaming around in the creases of the noodles doesn’t by any means make it a healthy dish. It’s supposed to be creamy and full of carbs with just enough sweetness to make you come back for more.
And it is so addictive.
I’m sure I could eat my weight in this Creamy Rotini Veggie Pasta Salad. I’ve been making some variation of this recipe for years and I never tire of it. It is the perfect celebration of Summer.
Looking for more pasta salad recipes? Check these out!
Ingredients
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 2 T sugar
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 T spicy pickle relish
- ½ t . salt
- 2 t . pepper
- 1 small carrot peeled and grated
- 1 cup steamed broccoli cooled and finely chopped
- ¼ cup chopped roasted red bell pepper
- ¼ cup sliced black olives
- ¼ cup diced red onion
- 1 lb . rotini cooked, drained and cooled
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, pickle relish, salt and pepper. Stir in the carrot, broccoli, roasted red bell pepper, olives and red onion. Toss the pasta in the dressing until coated well and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight. Will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge.
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