Creamy Velveeta Bowtie Pasta Salad
This Velveeta Bowtie Pasta Salad is a quick and easy side dish that’s perfect for your next summer BBQ! It brings together ultra-creamy Velveeta with a sweet pop of English peas, vibrant cherry pimentos, and the tangy crunch of sweet pickle relish. I just love how this recipe comes together with simple ingredients I already have in my pantry!
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Velveeta Bowtie Pasta Salad
- Serves: 6 - 8 servings
- Main Ingredients: Velveeta, bowtie pasta, - ¾ cup mayonnaise, English peas, T spicy brown mustard, jar of pimentos, sweet pickle relish, salt and pepper, to taste
- Why You'll Love It: This creamy, tangy Velveeta Bowtie Pasta Salad is a beloved summer staple that comes together in no time using simple pantry ingredients - the kind of dish that disappears fast at any backyard BBQ!
A Fresh and Vibrant Summer Classic
I can’t get me enough of fresh and vibrant pasta salad in the summertime. From my Italian Pasta Salad and Ham Pasta Salad to my BLT Pasta Salad, there are all kinds of ways to make this classic cookout side downright delcious.
This Velveeta bowtie pasta salad is something I love to make during the spring and summer. It’s bright and creamy with just the right amount of tang and crunch from the veggies. The bowtie pasta really knows how to hold onto the flavor and dressing, making every bite taste like a little slice of heaven.
I sure can’t complain about how simple it is to make, either. I had just about everything I needed right at home, so it took no time at all. The hardest part is waiting for it to chill! But that just makes it perfect for making ahead.
Reader Review
“I always keep a bag or two of the mini bow tie pasta on hand. My children love when I cook this up, then turn it into either pasta salad or make it into chicken …. My kids love this pasta with Velveeta, in fact they call it macaroni and cheese!”
Recipe Ingredients
- Salt and pepper
- Velveeta cheese
- Bowtie pasta
- Mayonnaise
- English peas
- Spicy brown mustard (use regular if you have it on hand!)
- Jar of pimentos
- Sweet pickle relish
Recipe Variations & Notes
- Add crunch: Stir in diced onion, celery, or bell peppers cut into smaller pieces.
- Make it smoky: Add crumbled bacon, savory ground beef, or smoked paprika for extra flavor.
- Protein boost: Toss in chopped hard-boiled eggs, diced ham, or shredded rotisserie chicken.
- Cheesy boost: Sprinkle in parmesan cheese or mix in a block of cream cheese for a rich, creamy pasta dish.
- Spice it up: Add a dash of chili powder, green chilies, or rotel tomatoes for a flavorful dish with a kick.
How to Make Velveeta Bowtie Pasta Salad
Step 1. Cook the Pasta
Boil your pasta following the instructions on the package. Once it’s done, drain it in a colander and give it a rinse with cold water to cool it down quickly.
Step 2. Mix the Dressing
Next, grab a medium mixing bowl and stir all your other ingredients together.
Step 3. Add Macaroni & Chill
Once everything is well combined, give it a taste and add a little more mayo if you think it needs it. Place it in the fridge and let it chill for at least 1 hour before serving. The longer, the better!
Step 4. Serve & Enjoy
Give it a good stir before serving and enjoy! I love to serve this with a side of sweet tea brined grilled chicken and fluffy Southern cathead biscuits, washed down with some creamy frozen lemonade. It doesn’t get much more summery than that, does it?
Velveeta Bowtie Pasta Salad FAQs
Yes, but I’d recommend sticking with Velveeta if you can! Other cheeses won’t melt and blend into the salad the same way. Velveeta gives it that creamy, smooth texture that makes this dish so irresistible. If you’re in a pinch, a mild cheddar could work, but just know it won’t be quite the same.
I let my pasta cool for about 10 minutes before tossing it into the salad. You want it to be just cool enough that it doesn’t melt everything together, but I find that a little warmth actually helps the dressing and cheese blend in nicely. If you have more time, you can always put it in the fridge to speed things up!
Finely diced fresh red bell pepper is a perfect substitute. I’ve made this swap before when my pantry was bare, and I actually loved the extra crunch it added. If you still want that soft, pickled flavor that pimentos bring, you can use chopped roasted red peppers from a jar instead.
Storage
Store your Velveeta bowtie pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. I recommend eating it within this timeframe before it starts getting soggy.
What do you plan on cooking on the 4th? I’d love to hear your menu in the comments section and its a great opportunity for everyone to get more ideas, too!
Ingredients
- 1 cup Velveeta grated
- 10 ounces bowtie pasta
- ½ – ¾ cup mayonnaise if you like more dressing, add the full amount
- 1 can English peas drained
- 1 T spicy brown mustard can use regular if you have it on hand!
- 2-4 oz jar of pimentos
- ⅓ cup sweet pickle relish
- salt and pepper, to taste I start with ½ tsp of each
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain in a colander and run cold water over it to cool.10 ounces bowtie pasta
- Mix all other ingredients together in medium mixing bowl.1 cup Velveeta, ½ – ¾ cup mayonnaise, 1 can English peas, 1 T spicy brown mustard, 2-4 oz jar of pimentos, ⅓ cup sweet pickle relish, salt and pepper, to taste
- Add macaroni and mix well, adding more mayo if needed.10 ounces bowtie pasta, ½ – ¾ cup mayonnaise
- Chill for at least 1 hour and stir before serving.
Notes
- I always make this the night before. The flavors get so much better after a few hours in the fridge!
- Feel free to swap the bowtie pasta for elbow macaroni or rotini. Whatever you have in the pantry works great!
- If you’re feeding a crowd, I’d recommend doubling the recipe. This one goes fast at potlucks and BBQs!
- For a bit of crunch, diced celery or red onion makes a great mix-in without overpowering the other flavors.
Well, of course we begin the 4th on the evening before, when my Girl Scout troop gets together and decorates our trailer with every piece of red-, white-, and blue-ness we can find, plus all our Girl Scout flags (and maybe a Boy Scout flag too this year, ’cause it’s their 100th anniversary) … so we can march down our main street on parade day to wave at all our neighbors and give our fervent thanks for everything!
Of course, this is after we finish our local production of The Sound of Music, opening night for which is tomorrow (!!!). Because I can’t tell my kids and my Scouts to push themselves without walking the walk myself, I’m treading the boards for the first time in 35 years as a singing nun – and because gravity apparently affects _everything_, I’m also learning how to sing mezzo instead of first soprano, which is what I used to be. I hope the kids watch and learn: find something fun and hard, (or find something hard and make it fun!)do it, and enjoy the accomplishment!
We were just invited last night to a friends bash they are having. Now I know what to take. I love your bowl too. I love to antique shop and now every time I see a vintage Pyrex anything I think of you. My birthday is the 3rd so I have always loved all the festivities of the 4th. Have a great 4th of July!
Christy
There will be 16 of us for the 4th. We will have our big celebration on Sat. the 3rd, (everyone wants to go white water rafting on the Ocoee River on Sun. after church.
Then on Sun. night there will be fireworks out here on the lake (we live on a lake in N,Ga. mnts.
Our menu will be a southern style hash (not Brunswick stew) that we make every year. Its traditional. It is a recipe that comes from my grandmother’s family and it is written in my father’s handwriting.
Its made traditionally with beef and pork and usually cooks for about 2 days, all day and night. sauce, spices and potatoes and onions.
With this, we will have rice, bbq ribs, baked beans, slaw, bbq chicken
(we have some that wont eat beef, plenty of cold lemonade and Southern style sweet tea, appetizers and plenty of desserts. Yum
Have a wonderful 4th.
Sue
Oh.. and of course. Great job on the video too. The people at Velveeta knew what they were doing when you picked you and Tina to be Kitchenistas!
I wanna make that salad! I will probably grill some chicken that I soaked in buttermilk overnight. I’d rather melt outside than heat the house up for hours.
*Sings Ricky Martin Song…”LIVIN VELVEETA LOCA”
I am not sure of the cooking part yet , but for sure will have birthday cake and ice cream for my middle son’s birthday. He will be 37 on the fourth of July. He always thought the picnics, parades, and fireworks were all for his birthday when he was little. Maybe still does!
We all love basil and I have a recipe for basil tomato pasta salad that will be on our menu along with fresh corn and hamburgers. Yum.