I don't know if there is an actual recipe for that. lol! My sister ALWAYS made that to bring to any large gathering, and she varied contents based on what she had or sounded good. She'd often use tri-color/flavor pasta, then she added things like chopped cukes, tomatoes, olives, chunks of cheese, turkey, ham, etc., then she'd douse it with Italian salad dressing. I never cared for it because she LOADED it with cheese and meat.

ETA: my sister didn't start making it until the 90s, so maybe it's a much later recipe than you imagine?

I used to make that salad years ago with colored rotini, a bag of frozen Italian style mixed veggies, olives, red onion and zesty style Italian salad dressing.

Here is the one I always used. Haven't made it in a long time, but it is really good.

Sour Cream Macaroni Salad

I have absolutely no recollection of where this recipe came from. I just know I have made it for years and years and get requests to bring it to gatherings. When taking to a gathering, I always had to double the recipe. WalnutCreek

1 8-oz package elbow macaroni (2 cups uncooked)

1/2 - 1 cup diced green pepper

1/4 - 1/2 cup sweet pickle relish

1 T grated onion

2 – 3 red pimentos

1/2 cup mayonnaise (I use Miracle Whip for this salad; mayo
does not taste right in the salad)

1/2 cup sour cream

1 1/2 t salt

1/4 cup milk

Pepper to taste

2 hard boiled eggs, chopped

Cherry tomatoes (Normally I do not put any tomatoes on the
salad)

Cook macaroni for 11-14 minutes or until tender. Rinse with cold water and drain.

In a large bowl combine green pepper, pickle relish, onion, and pimentos; mix well. Add macaroni.

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, milk, salt and pepper and blend well. The dressing will seem thin at first. Pour over macaroni and mix well. Sprinkle chopped
eggs on top. Chill for several hours.

Before serving, garnish with whole cherry tomatoes. Serves 6 – 8

I used to make this back in the 80's but didn't add too much stuff to it. I used tri-color rotini, diced red bell pepper, diced red onions and drained, canned sliced black olives. I dressed it with Christo's Yasou Greek dressing. It held up very well. I found when I added tomatoes or cukes the salad got watery.

I remember that. It was good if it didn't have too many olives in it (I hate olives). :) The trick is to cut the veg small enough that the texture is mostly pasta, unlike a primavera where the texture is mostly vegetables and the pasta is there to fill the gaps.

Vary it to go with what you have. For quantities, don't go overboard. I'd say about a third of a cup of everything, more or less, for a salad serving bowl full of pasta salad, but more of the bits you really like, or if you don't have much variety.

The old version was a lot of stuff from cans/jars because the point was throwing something together from your pantry. That Italian dressing in the packets was most common, made with olive oil and red wine vinegar. The pasta needs a lot of flavor, so if you're making from scratch, use tasty O&V, salt or parmesan, and soak lots herbs and garlic in it. I'd use granulated garlic, or press fresh, rather than minced chunks. Dress the pasta while it's still hot, but well drained.

Black olives, pimentos, marinated artichoke hearts (if they're packed in oil, only, add some S&P and herbs and let them set awhile. If they're fresh, they don't need to be marinated). Other possibles are asparagus, green beans, rehydrated sun dried tomatoes, hearts of palm, giardiniera (Italian pickled vegetables). Whatever you have and like, though cook any fresh veg, or at least blanch it.

Take care of yourself and stay well!

Was it the one using Salad Supreme?

I prefer to use mayo that has been thinned with a good Italian dressing. I used to love Bernstein’s, but can’t get that in Canada anymore. My daughter brought me back some from the states. But only one bottle. I sure miss it.

Being stuck in the hospital is bad enough (not COVID thank goodness,) being stuck with NO INTERNET yesterday was awful. The good news is I should get to go home sometime today. Yay. Of course I can't get to sleep tonight LOL. So finally being able to get on the 'net means I might be able to tell DH what I need to make this salad! He can run into the store for me on our way home. Thank you all so much.