Easy Creamy Veggie Pasta Salad

This pasta salad is loaded with crunchy veggies, shredded cheddar, and the creamiest homemade dressing. It’s absolutely delicious and so easy! A beautifully colorful addition to any summer meal!

When most people think of pasta their brains probably jump to heavy, carby, saucy dinner entrees. And hey, I get that! But when the sun is out and the temp goes up my brain starts thinking about cold pasta salads loaded with flavorful mix-ins and homemade dressings! This is the fifth pasta salad recipe on my website and it’s a special one.

This Easy Creamy Veggie Pasta Salad is loaded with colorful veggies. It’s like a beautiful rainbow in a bowl! And it’s a delicious balance of crunchy and creamy! This feels absolutely essential to me in a pasta salad.

The only cooking required is boiling pasta. Then toss in the mix-ins and stir. It’s that easy!

The best part of a pasta salad? There’s no reheating when you’re ready to eat. This makes them the perfect choice to bring to get-togethers!

Ingredients for Easy Creamy Veggie Pasta Salad

• Tricolor rotini pasta: I enjoy tri-color rotini pasta in this recipe but farfalle (bowtie), penne, or elbow macaroni work too. You can truly use whatever pasta shapes you like best.
• Broccoli: Chop fresh broccoli so you have small pieces of this popular green veggie throughout the pasta salad.
• Green peas: You can use fresh or frozen peas. I tend to toss in frozen peas. No need to thaw them first if you’re not going to serve the pasta right away.
• Corn: I recommend frozen corn because the texture is better than canned and it’s also so much less hassle than removing kernels of corn from the cob.
• Bell pepper: You can use any color bell pepper in this pasta but I recommend a red bell pepper because it has a bit of sweetness that works well.
• Cucumber: Cucumber adds freshness to this dish. Be sure to dice it small so it doesn’t overwhelm the other ingredients.
• Red onion: Red onion adds a nice bite and its purple color is so vibrant.
• Cheddar Cheese: I recommend a sharp cheddar cheese in this cold pasta salad.
• Mayo: Use regular mayo or a light mayo. Both work well in the creamy dressing we’re creating here. You can also sub plain unsweetened greek yogurt if you prefer.
• Milk: Milk helps thin our creamy sauce so it’s the perfect thickness to coat the pasta noodles. You can use any unflavored and unsweetened milk you like.
• Lime juice: A hint of lime juice balances out the mayo.
• Dried herbs and seasonings: Dried thyme, dried basil, mustard powder, salt, and black pepper are the only seasonings you need to flavor this dish.

How to Make Easy Creamy Veggie Pasta Salad

Cook your pasta per package directions. 

Drain water from pasta and stir in broccoli, peas, corn, red bell pepper, cucumber, red onion, and cheddar cheese.

In a bowl stir together mayo, milk, lime juice, thyme, basil, ground mustard, salt, and black pepper.

Pour the dressing over the pasta and veggies. Stir until well combined.

Refrigerate the finished pasta until you’re ready to serve. Before serving, give it a good stir so the dressing isn’t settled on the bottom.

Can You Make This Pasta Salad in Advance?

Yes! Just like with all pasta salads, the flavors get more pronounced as it sits so making this a few hours before you plan to enjoy it is a good idea (but not mandatory). It’s also so good the next day! Refrigerate in an airtight container. Give it a good stir before serving.

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