Creamy Vegetable Pasta Salad

A creamy, colorful pasta salad like the one in your photo, with fusilli/rotini, broccoli, peas, carrots, cherry tomatoes, herbs, and a rich creamy dressing.

Servings

6–8 servings
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 10–12 minutes
Chill: 30–60 minutes
Total: about 1 hour

Ingredients

Pasta & vegetables

16 oz (450 g) fusilli/rotini pasta
1½ cups (225 g) broccoli florets, cut into small pieces
1½ cups (200 g) frozen green peas
1 cup (150 g) carrots, diced
1½ cups (225 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
¼ cup (35 g) finely chopped red onion
2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

Creamy dressing

1 cup (240 g) mayonnaise
½ cup (120 g) sour cream or Greek yogurt
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
1 tbsp honey or sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp dried Italian seasoning
¾ tsp salt, or to taste
½ tsp black pepper
2–4 tbsp milk, as needed to thin the dressing

Optional additions

For a richer version, add:

½ cup (75 g) shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup (75 g) diced cucumber
¼ cup (35 g) chopped red onion
2 tbsp fresh dill

Detailed Instructions

1. Cook the pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add about 1 tablespoon salt.

Add the 16 oz pasta and cook according to the package directions, usually 8–10 minutes, until tender but still slightly firm.

Drain and immediately rinse under cold water. This stops the cooking and cools the pasta.

Drain very well.

Tip: Don’t overcook the pasta—it will become softer as it absorbs the dressing.

2. Prepare the vegetables

Broccoli:
Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the broccoli for 1½–2 minutes, then drain and rinse with cold water.

Peas:
Thaw the frozen peas under cold running water and drain.

Carrots:
Dice into small pieces. For softer carrots, blanch them for 2–3 minutes and cool immediately.

Tomatoes:
Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and gently pat them dry if they’re particularly juicy.

3. Make the dressing

In a bowl, whisk together:

1 cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream/Greek yogurt
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice
1 tbsp honey/sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp Italian seasoning
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper

Whisk until completely smooth.

Add 2 tablespoons milk and mix. Add another 1–2 tablespoons if you want a thinner, pourable dressing.

Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, vinegar, or sweetness.

4. Combine everything

Place the cooled pasta in a large mixing bowl.

Add:

broccoli
peas
carrots
cherry tomatoes
red onion
parsley

Pour over about ¾ of the dressing.

Gently toss until everything is evenly coated.

5. Chill

Cover and refrigerate for 30–60 minutes.

This allows the pasta and vegetables to absorb the flavors.

After chilling, check the consistency. Pasta absorbs dressing while it sits, so add the remaining dressing as needed.

6. Serve

Transfer to a large serving bowl.

Garnish with:

fresh parsley
fresh dill
a small sprinkle of paprika
a few halved cherry tomatoes

Serve cold or slightly chilled.

Nutrition — Approximate

Per serving, assuming 8 servings and using mayonnaise + sour cream:

Nutrient	Approx. amount
Calories	430 kcal
Protein	10 g
Carbohydrates	55 g
Fat	19 g
Saturated fat	4 g
Fiber	5 g
Sugar	7 g
Sodium	500–650 mg

These numbers are estimates and will vary depending on the mayonnaise, sour cream/yogurt, pasta, and amount of salt used.

Lower-calorie option

Use ½ cup mayonnaise + ½ cup Greek yogurt instead of 1 cup mayonnaise. This gives you a lighter dressing with more protein.

Nut/allergen information

The basic recipe contains no nuts. However, check the labels on your mayonnaise, mustard, pasta, and other packaged ingredients if you’re cooking for someone with a severe allergy, since manufacturing facilities can vary.

Main potential allergens: egg (mayonnaise), milk (sour cream/Greek yogurt), and mustard.

Author
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Sara Mitchell

Sara Mitchell is an expert restaurant content creator who writes easy-to-read guides about CAVA and other Mediterranean fast-casual chains in the United States. She covers locations, menus, prices, and hours, making it simple for visitors to find nearby restaurants and what to order quickly.

With years of experience in restaurant research and local SEO, Sara creates accurate, user-friendly guides that work for both people and search engines. Her goal is to help users go from search results to their nearest restaurant or menu choice with as few clicks as possible.