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Creamy Pink Cadillac Pasta Salad for Parties & Cookouts

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.3 from 27 reviews
  • Author: Elina
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 8
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

Description

Pink Cadillac Pasta Salad is a vibrant and creamy pasta dish featuring elbow macaroni tossed in a tangy Catalina dressing mixed with mayonnaise, dill pickle relish, and crisp fresh vegetables. Perfectly chilled and bursting with refreshing flavors, this salad is ideal for picnics, potlucks, and family meals.

Ingredients

Scale

Vegetables

  • 1 small red onion, quartered and thinly sliced
  • 2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
  • 1 green or yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced

Pasta

  • 16 oz elbow macaroni

Dressing

  • 2 tablespoons dill pickle relish
  • 2 cups Catalina dressing
  • 2/3 cup mayonnaise
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Soak Onion: Submerge the thinly sliced red onion in a bowl of ice water and let it soak for about 30 minutes to mellow its sharpness and crisp it up.
  2. Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the elbow macaroni following the package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta and spread it out on a baking sheet to cool completely.
  3. Prepare Vegetables: While the pasta cooks and cools, thinly slice the celery ribs and bell pepper and set them aside.
  4. Make Dressing: In a large bowl, whisk together the Catalina dressing, mayonnaise, dill pickle relish, and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper according to your taste preferences.
  5. Combine Ingredients: Drain the soaked red onion and add it to the dressing mixture along with the cooled pasta, celery, and bell pepper. Stir everything gently to combine well and taste to adjust seasoning if needed.
  6. Chill and Serve: Refrigerate the salad until thoroughly chilled before serving to let the flavors meld beautifully. Enjoy this refreshing pasta salad cold.

Notes

  • Soaking the red onion in ice water reduces its pungency and adds crispness to the salad.
  • Spreading the cooked pasta out to cool quickly prevents it from sticking together.
  • Use fresh Catalina dressing for that signature tangy flavor; bottled versions work well.
  • This pasta salad can be made a few hours ahead and stored in the refrigerator, making it great for meal prep.
  • Feel free to add chopped fresh herbs like parsley or dill for extra freshness.

Find it online: https://recipes.mbeams.com/creamy-pink-cadillac-pasta-salad-for-parties-and-cookouts/