Secret Ingredient Pasta Salad
This creamy, tangy pasta salad is packed with bright vegetables and a nostalgic onion soup dressing that’s comforting, craveable, and incredibly easy to throw together — perfect for potlucks, lunches, or casual dinners.
Equipment
- Large Pot
- Mixing Bowl
- Colander
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Whisk
Ingredients
Pasta & Veggies
- 1 pound dried farfalle, rotini, or campanelle pasta short pasta shapes hold dressing well
- 1½ cups frozen peas
- 1 small red onion finely chopped
- 2 large celery stalks chopped
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes halved
- ½ small bunch fresh chives chopped, for garnish
- kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Dressing
- ¾ cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt or sour cream as substitute
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 oz onion soup mix 1 envelope
- ¾ tsp dark or light brown sugar packed
- 1 medium lemon juiced
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain over frozen peas in a colander to soften them instantly.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together lemon juice, yogurt, mayonnaise, onion soup mix, and brown sugar to create the dressing.
- Chop red onion, celery, and tomatoes into small pieces.
- Add drained pasta and peas to the bowl with the dressing. Toss to coat evenly.
- Add chopped veggies and gently mix. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle in chives and toss again.
- Chill in the refrigerator before serving to let the flavors meld.
Notes
Save a bit of dressing to stir in before serving for the freshest texture. Full-fat yogurt gives the creamiest result, but light yogurt or sour cream also work well.
Nutrition
Calories: 390kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 10gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 620mgPotassium: 300mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 850IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 60mgIron: 2.1mg
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