Description
This creamy pasta salad is a perfect dish for office potlucks, combining al dente rotini pasta with a luscious blend of mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, and red wine vinegar dressing. Packed with fresh grape tomatoes, crisp cucumber, red bell pepper, sliced olives, mini pepperoni, and sharp cheddar cheese, it offers a delightful blend of flavors and textures. The olive oil barrier ensures the dressing beautifully coats every pasta spiral without being absorbed, resulting in a fresh, creamy, and well-balanced salad that’s easy to prepare and sure to impress.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 1 lb Rotini pasta
- 1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
Dressing
- 1 cup Mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup Plain Greek yogurt
- 3 tbsp Red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp Dried Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp Sea salt
- 1/2 tsp Cracked black pepper
Vegetables & Mix-ins
- 1 cup Grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup English cucumber, quartered and sliced
- 1/2 cup Red bell pepper, finely diced
- 1/2 cup Sliced black olives
- 1/2 cup Red onion, finely minced
- 1/2 cup Mini pepperoni
- 1/2 cup Cubed sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Boil the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the rotini pasta for 10 minutes, about 1 minute less than package instructions, aiming for an al dente texture that holds up well against the dressing.
- Shock the noodles: Drain the pasta in a colander and immediately rinse with cold water until the noodles are completely chilled with no remaining steam.
- Apply the oil barrier: Transfer chilled pasta to a large bowl and toss with the extra virgin olive oil. This creates a hydrophobic layer that keeps the dressing on the surface of the noodles.
- Whisk the dressing: In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, dried Italian seasoning, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper until the mixture is smooth and uniform.
- Prep the vegetables: While the pasta dries slightly, halve the grape tomatoes, quarter and slice the cucumber, finely dice the red bell pepper, and finely mince the red onion.
- Combine the mix-ins: Add the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, black olives, red onion, mini pepperoni, and cubed sharp cheddar cheese to the bowl with the pasta.
- Dress the salad: Pour the creamy dressing over the pasta and vegetable mixture.
- Toss thoroughly: Use a large spatula to gently fold the dressing into the salad ensuring each rotini spiral is evenly coated and the dressing appears velvety.
- Final seasoning check: Taste a bite with cheese and season with additional salt or pepper as needed to enhance the flavors.
- Chill for transport: Transfer the pasta salad to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes before transporting. This chilling step ensures the pasta remains cold and prevents it from absorbing too much dressing, preserving the creamy texture.
Notes
- Using cold water to shock the pasta stops the cooking process and prevents the pasta from becoming mushy.
- Tossing cooked pasta with olive oil before adding dressing helps keep the salad from becoming soggy.
- Chilling the salad before serving enhances the flavors and prevents dry noodles by ensuring the pasta and dressing combine perfectly when cold.
- Feel free to substitute mini pepperoni with cooked bacon bits or omit for a vegetarian version.
- Greek yogurt lightens the mayo-based dressing, adding creaminess with tang and reducing fat content.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: creamy pasta salad, office potluck recipe, rotini pasta salad, cold pasta salad, easy pasta salad, summer salad, creamy dressing pasta
