Recipe Details
Creamy Italian Pasta Salad
Photo by Probably This | Ready in: 25 minutes | Serves: 8
Ingredients
1 (12-ounce) package tri-color spiral pasta (any pasta shape of your choice works as a substitute)
1 cup Italian salad dressing (we recommend Good Seasons brand)
1 cup Caesar salad dressing
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
1 medium cucumber, peeled and diced
1 green or red bell pepper, seeded and diced
Preparation Instructions
Cook pasta according to package directions. Once cooked, rinse it with cold water and drain it fully to remove excess moisture.
In a large mixing bowl, combine all remaining ingredients and mix until evenly blended.
Add the cooled cooked pasta to the bowl, and toss until every piece is evenly coated with the dressing mixture.
Chill the pasta salad in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.
Handy Note
If your pasta absorbs most of the dressing during chilling, you can stir in a little extra dressing right before serving to reach your preferred consistency.
Common Reader Questions
The recipe name mentions it’s “creamy” — do we need to use creamy-style dressings or regular dressings? Even experienced cooks have asked for clarification on this, and many hold off on making the recipe until they can source the correct dressing.
That seems like a large amount of cheese for this recipe!
Community Reviews
Koechin/Chef: This is such a wonderful pasta salad! I used non-creamy Paul Newman Caesar dressing paired with Italian dressing, and it turned out perfectly. I thought the amount of dressing called for was too much at first, but after chilling in the fridge, the pasta absorbed just enough to make it just right. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Party host reviewer: I just mixed this up but haven’t tried it yet. I used creamy Italian and creamy Caesar dressings, scaled the recipe up to 60 ounces of pasta to feed 75-100 people for a party, and I’m also adding black olives. I can’t wait to taste it!
Home cook reviewer: Absolutely delicious! We love pasta salad, and I was so curious about the combination of Italian and Caesar dressing that I had to give it a try — it’s so good! I halved the batch, used rainbow radiatore pasta, skipped the bell pepper for personal preference and added button mushrooms instead. The flavor is fantastic, with the perfect bright zing. I cut down on fat by using fat-free zesty Italian and light Caesar dressings, and only used about 2/3 of the total dressing called for, which was more than enough. Thank you for this great recipe — I will absolutely make it again!
Reviewer: This recipe is fantastic! It’s the perfect dish for spring potlucks or picnics. I will definitely make it again.
Reviewer: My whole family loved the tangy, creamy flavor of this pasta salad. Thanks for posting this recipe!
(View 5 more full reviews on the original recipe post)
Recipe Submitted By
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