Whenever my wife and I go antiquing we like to pack a light lunch for the trip. Taking our lunch instead of eating out means that way we maximize our antiquing time. But just because lunch is hauled in a cooler doesn’t mean that it’s going to be boring. I made a few fantastic Italian cold-cut wraps and this absolutely delicious creamy pasta salad for our last trip. We both could’ve eaten the salad all afternoon long, but that would’ve meant little time for looking for antiques! Perfectly creamy, with a little crunch from the onion, peas and pickles. Oh, and cheese.
Change Is Good
For a great twist on this creamy pasta salad substitute chopped green or black olives for the diced pickles. Another great change is to use smoked cheddar cheese instead of extra sharp cheddar.
Better The Next Day
This salad is even better (I wouldn’t have thought it could be any better!) the next day. Just cover and put the refrigerator overnight. Give it a quick stir before serving.
I almost always use Blue Plate mayonnaise in the dishes I make. I think it is the best around. If you can’t find it locally you can pick it up online for a fair price.
Also our try our amazing old fashioned macaroni salad.
Creamy Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups elbow macaroni
- 2 cups peas frozen
- 1 7 ounce extra sharp cheddar cheese diced
- ½ cup sweet pickles diced
- ½ cup sweet onion diced
- 1 4 ounce pimentos drained
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta per package instructions. Drain well, transfer to a large bowl, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour to cool.
- Add the peas, cheese, pickles, onion and pimento and fold to combine.
- In a separate bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, cream, mustard and sugar. Fold into the pasta mixture.
- Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.
