This creamy pasta salad is packed with fresh veggies, cheese, and savory bites of pepperoni or bacon, all tossed in a zesty creamy Italian dressing. Perfect for picnics, potlucks, and easy summer dinners, it’s a crowd-pleaser to enjoy all season long!
Table of Contents
For even more delicious pasta salad recipes, don’t miss this Hawaiian pasta salad, my mother-in-law’s chicken pasta salad with shrimp and pepperoni, and this easy pasta salad with mayo, lemon, and basil.
If you’re hosting a summer get-together or heading over to a friend’s house for a picnic, then this creamy pasta salad recipe with Italian dressing and mayo is for you. After all, a Southern potluck would not be complete without at least one pasta salad on the table!
A Creamy Pasta Salad Recipe that’s Perfect for Any Occasion
This dish is a perfect combination of my favorite Southern macaroni salad (with a sweet and creamy dressing) and a classic pasta salad (with a vinaigrette dressing). It’s the best of both worlds, and it pairs beautifully with just about any meal. Serve it alongside grilled burgers at a casual cookout, bring it to a church potluck, or offer it on a 4th of July or Easter holiday table. The creamy pasta salad always wins rave reviews!
Ingredient Notes and Tips for Success
- I typically use rotini pasta, but any short pasta shape will work. Try elbows, farfalle (bowties), or penne, for instance. Just make sure that you choose a shape with plenty of ridges or curls for the dressing to cling to.
- The recipe calls for tomatoes, bell pepper, cucumber, and red onion. Feel free to mix up the veggies and use whatever you have on hand. Other good options include carrots, celery, peas, and small broccoli florets.
- Similarly, you can use just about any cheese. I’ve shown cubed sharp cheddar cheese here, but you might like cubed fresh mozzarella, Swiss, crumbled feta, or Monterey Jack.
- Wishbone Creamy Italian dressing is my top choice for the base of the dressing. Add in a little bit of Duke’s mayo and it’s “chef’s kiss!”
- Basil works really well with the Italian dressing when it’s fresh and in-season during the warm growing months. If you prefer, you can sub with other fresh (or dried) herbs, such as parsley, dill, chives, and thyme.
- Sliced black olives are optional. Honestly, I usually leave them out since my boys don’t care for them!
How to Make Creamy Italian Pasta Salad
If you can chop some veggies and boil some pasta, then you can make this salad. It’s quick, easy and doesn’t require any special skills! You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview:
- Boil the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water just until al dente (it will continue to soften a bit as it sits in the dressing). Drain and rinse under cold water. The rinsing is important because it stops the cooking process and removes starches from the noodles so that they don’t stick together.
- Next, prepare the creamy pasta salad dressing. This is about as easy as it gets! Simply whisk together the creamy Italian dressing with a little bit of mayo.
- Once the pasta is completely cool, stir together the cooked noodles with the veggies, meat, cheese, and herbs. Pour the dressing over top, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve. It’s best if it has at least 1-2 hours to marinate in the fridge. You can even prep it the day before!
- The pasta will absorb some of the dressing as it sits. Just before serving, give everything a good stir. If it looks a little too dry for your liking, stir in a little bit more of the Italian dressing (or mayo) until it reaches the desired consistency.
Serving Suggestions
While it’s delicious on its own for a light meal, the pasta salad also pairs nicely with a tomato sandwich, Italian sausage and peppers, beef kabobs, flank steak marinade, Mom’s crab cakes recipe, this fried chicken tenders recipe, grilled whole chicken, cornflake chicken, baked chicken legs, slow cooker pulled pork, Crock Pot pulled barbecue chicken, cast iron chicken breast, a Virginia oven baked ham, or this bourbon glazed ham.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: The salad is best if it has at least 1-2 hours to chill in the fridge. You can even prepare it up to 24 hours in advance. Just add a little bit more dressing right before serving to loosen it up as necessary.
- How to Store: While it’s best enjoyed within 24 hours, the creamy pasta salad will stay fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- I do not recommend freezing the pasta salad, since the vegetables and pasta will have a mushy, watery texture when thawed.
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Creamy Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups (about 7 ounces) uncooked rotini pasta (about 4 cups cooked)
- ¾ cup creamy Italian salad dressing (I use Wish-Bone)
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise (I use Duke's)
- ½ cup halved cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
- ½ of a sweet bell pepper (any color), seeded and chopped
- ½ cup sliced cucumber
- ½ cup diced red onion
- ½ cup mini pepperoni, diced ham, or chopped crispy bacon
- ½ cup cubed cheese, such as sharp cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, or fresh mozzarella
- ½ cup sliced black olives (optional)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions for al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside to cool completely.
- While the pasta cooks, prepare the dressing by whisking together the creamy Italian salad dressing and the mayonnaise. Set aside.
- Once the pasta is completely cool, transfer it in a large bowl. Add the tomatoes, bell pepper, cucumber, red onion, pepperoni (or ham or bacon), cheese, olives (if using), and basil. Pour the dressing over the top and gently toss to combine. It looks like a lot of dressing initially, but the pasta will absorb some of it as it chills in the fridge. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours before serving. Just before serving, give everything a good stir. Add a little bit more creamy Italian dressing (or mayo) if it looks dry.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Variations
- For a slightly different flavor profile, use a bottle of Ranch salad dressing instead of the creamy Italian.
- Add cooked, diced chicken, cooked shrimp, tuna, salmon, or hardboiled eggs to the salad for an even heartier dish with extra protein.
- For an even more prominent basil flavor, add a spoonful of basil pesto to the creamy sauce.
- Make it a little spicy with some crushed red pepper flakes or give it more depth with garlic powder.
- Stir in some chopped pickles or capers for a briny, acidic note.
- Swap out some of the mayo for sour cream or plain Greek yogurt for a tangier dressing. A dollop of Dijon mustard will add some zip!
More Pasta Salad Recipes to Try
Aunt Bee’s Shrimp Pasta Salad
50 minutes mins
Tortellini Salad with Chicken
30 minutes mins
BLT Pasta Salad
27 minutes mins
Originally published in July, 2017, this post was updated in May, 2025.
Pasta salads are my favorite kind to whip up during the summer, and I’m loving this Italian version. Those zesty ingredients sound delicious! Just what I need!
Thanks, Gayle! I LOVE these ingredients — I know you will too!
Wow this looks so delicious…definitely one for barbecues!
Thanks, Emily!
The asiago sauce manufacturer is now giving everyone a BOGO coupon. And, I just love this recipe, it is now in the rotation. Thanks for sharing it!
Awesome! So glad that you like the recipe, Kerri! 🙂
Just a couple suggestions: If you don’t have dressing on hand, soak dry Italian herbs in a small amount of olive oil for several hours or overnight. Whisk it into youe mayo (the olive or avocado versions are really delicious). If you don’t mind a little tang, sour cream lightens the dressing, and so does a dab of milk. For a big flavor boost, add sliced/chopped pepperoncini. Finally, for authenticity, use provolone or a shaved hard cheese. Always store the cheese separately so it doesn’t get slimy.
Also, I snip fresh basil into the salad. I grow tons of basil every year, and it freezes really well for a few months — probably would be longer if I had a food sealer. The commercial frozen and paste versions of basil are not bad — far better than dried. They’re pretty widely available now.
Great tips! Thanks, Kathleen!