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French Dressing Pasta Salad

French dressing pasta salad is a classic retro picnic-style side dish with tender pasta coated in a tangy-sweet Catalina-style dressing. It’s loaded with crunchy tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, and cubes of cheddar, then chilled so the flavors meld.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 540
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta salad base
  • 1 lb elbow macaroni or rotini Use either elbow macaroni or rotini for the same classic texture.
  • 1 cup French dressing (Catalina) Choose a Catalina-style French dressing for the tangy-sweet flavor.
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved Halve for easy bites.
  • 1 cup cucumber, diced Dice evenly so every forkful has crunch.
  • 0.5 cup green bell pepper, diced Dice small for balanced flavor.
  • 0.5 cup red onion, diced Dice finely to avoid sharp bites.
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese, cubed Cube for sturdy mix-in pieces.
  • 0.5 Salt Season to taste.
  • 0.5 pepper Season to taste.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Cook elbow macaroni or rotini according to package directions until tender, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking and cool it quickly.
Build the salad
  1. Add the pasta, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, green bell pepper, red onion, and cheddar cheese to a large bowl and toss gently to distribute the vegetables.
  2. Pour in the French dressing (Catalina) and toss until every piece of pasta is coated with an orange-red shine and the vegetables look glossy.
  3. Season with salt and pepper, then toss again until the seasoning is evenly mixed and no dry spots remain.
Chill and serve
  1. Refrigerate the salad for at least 2 hours so the flavors develop and the dressing clings to the pasta.
  2. Before serving, toss again and add more French dressing (Catalina) if needed to recoat the pasta and restore the vivid dressing layer.

Notes

Pro tip: rinse the pasta with cold water thoroughly so it stays firm and doesn’t clump when dressed. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; the salad can be refreshed with an extra splash of French dressing before serving. Freezing is not recommended because the vegetables and cheddar texture can change. If you want a lighter version, use reduced-fat cheddar while keeping the Catalina-style French dressing for the same retro tangy flavor.