Cream Cheese Pasta Salad Recipe
This cream cheese pasta salad recipe is creamy, simple to make, and loaded with vegetables and pasta tossed in a flavorful dressing.
Loaded with veggies and easy to make ahead – this is one crowd pleaser pasta salad that everyone will love. It’s a great high protein vegetarian side dish, too!
I love pasta salads that are creamy, crunchy, and great for a quick side dish or lunch any time of year. This pasta salad with cream cheese has a deliciously tangy dressing, made without mayonnaise!
It’s versatile enough that you can add your favorite chopped veggies in. This pasta salad is a delicious and quick meal prep lunch idea, or great to bring to a gathering for entertaining.
This Cream Cheese Pasta Salad Recipe Is
- Crunchy
- Tangy
- Vibrant
- Loaded with Flavor
- Colorful
- Vegetarian
A Great Make-Ahead Pasta Salad for Entertaining
This cream cheese pasta salad recipe is fantastic to make ahead of time for a party, potluck, or gathering. Making this recipe in advance allows you to skip any cooking or prep on the day-of. This is a great recipe to entertain with, or bring to an event.
A crowd-pleaser recipe that pasta lovers will want to dig in to! I got the idea for this recipe after making a pasta salad with cottage cheese… and realizing that there is another type of cheese that would also be great to add. Adding cream cheese to the dressing is a great way to get delicious and creamy flavor without adding mayonnaise.
What’s In This High Protein Pasta Salad?
See the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and instructions.
- Pasta – I used classic spiral rotini for this recipe, but you can use any medium pasta shape you prefer.
- Cucumber
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Carrots
- Lemon Juice
- Italian Dressing: There are times when I love making my own salad dressings… and then there are times I skip the hassle and use bottled Italian Dressing instead! It has all of the flavor of making your own, and is a huge time saver.
- Oregano: a spice I always put in my pasta salads! This dried oregano has a bright and earthy flavor, and goes so well with the fresh crunchy vegetables.
- Salt & Pepper
- Cream Cheese – I prefer to use plain original full-fat cream cheese for the dressing. But you could always mix it up, and use a veggie cream cheese, garlic and chive, or even onion!
Make Ahead Pasta Salad (No Mayo)
This easy cream cheese pasta salad is a great dish to make ahead of time. Prep this the day or night before, and simply heat before serving.
Make ahead meals are a great option if you want to get some prepping done beforehand. Browse all our modern make ahead meals to find your next favorite
How To Make Pasta Salad Without Mayo
- Set cream cheese out on the counter and allow it to come to room temperature. This will make it easier to mix the cream cheese into the dressing.
- Boil a large pot of salted water, and cook pasta according to package. Drain and rinse noodles under cold water to stop them cooking. Set aside.
- Dice the cucumber and tomatoes, slice the peppers into fine bite-sized ribbons, chop the carrots and olives, and add all veggies to a bowl.
- In a small mixing bowl, add the Italian dressing, lemon juice, oregano, and cream cheese. Mix well until cream cheese has blended into the dressing, and all ingredients are well combined.
- Pour cream cheese dressing over the pasta salad. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
Dietary Modifications
- This recipe is vegetarian.
- To make this gluten free, ensure you use a certified gluten free pasta and dressing. Always check labels to be certified gluten free before using.
More Creamy Pasta Recipes You’ll Love
Goat Cheese Pesto Pasta Recipe
Cottage Cheese Alfredo Pasta Sauce
Caprese Gnocchi Recipe with Fresh Mozzarella
Chicken Pasta with Vodka Sauce
Get the Same Ingredients For Cream Cheese Noodle Salad
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Cream Cheese Pasta Salad
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Large Pot
Ingredients
- 12 ounces rotini pasta
- 1 medium cucumber seeded and diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 bell pepper chopped
- 1 carrot sliced
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1/3 cup Italian dressing
- 1/4 teaspoon Oregano
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper to Taste
Instructions
- Set cream cheese out on the counter and allow it to come to room temperature. This will make it easier to mix the cream cheese into the dressing.
- Boil a large pot of salted water, and cook pasta according to package. Drain and rinse noodles under cold water to stop them cooking. Set aside.
- Dice the cucumber and tomatoes, slice the peppers into fine bite-sized ribbons, chop the carrots and olives, and add all veggies to a bowl.
- In a small mixing bowl, add the Italian dressing, lemon juice, oregano, and cream cheese. Mix well until cream cheese has blended into the dressing, and all ingredients are well combined.
- Pour cream cheese dressing over the pasta salad. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
This is a fantastic dish
This dish is superb