These pasta salad recipes offer different ways to serve cooled pasta, from Italian-dressed salami and cheese to pesto, lime, creamy ranch and Caesar-style bowls. Some are side dishes, while chicken or beef versions provide a more substantial option. Choose the dressing and ingredients you want, then open the complete recipe for measurements and preparation.
- Pasta Salad Recipes with Herb and Citrus Dressings
- Creamy Pasta Salads with Tortellini, Greens or Eggs
- Pasta Salads with Chicken or Beef
Cook and cool the pasta as directed before combining it with the other components. Several pasta salad recipes also need a refrigerator rest after assembly. Add delicate greens, avocado, crisp bacon or croutons at the stage specified in the recipe rather than mixing every topping in early. Check the intended side or main-dish portions when planning a meal.
Pasta Salad Recipes with Herb and Citrus Dressings
Choose Italian dressing, pesto and balsamic, lemon with feta, or lime and corn. These pasta salad recipes have different cheese and meat additions, so read the ingredients before selecting for a particular preference.
1. Italian Pasta Salad with Salami and Cheese
Short pasta is combined with cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, cubed cheese and salami in a seasoned Italian dressing. The salad chills for an hour before being tossed again. Choose this for a generous mixed-ingredient side rather than a plain vegetable-only bowl.
2. Pesto Caprese Pasta Salad
Cooled pasta, tomatoes, mozzarella and fresh basil are coated with prepared pesto, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The assembled salad rests in the refrigerator, with optional cooled toasted pine nuts added for serving. It is portioned as a side dish.
3. Greek Pasta Salad
Cucumber, tomato, olives, bell pepper and feta join cooled short pasta in a lemon, Dijon, honey and oregano dressing. Cooked chickpeas are optional. Choose this for the lemon-and-feta combination, and follow the specified chickpea amount if adding them.
4. Street Corn Pasta Salad with Avocado
Cooked corn, tomatoes, pepper and onion are tossed with pasta in a lime-and-oil dressing. Avocado is folded in immediately before serving, after the refrigerator rest. This version has no mayonnaise or creamy cheese dressing in its listed ingredients.
Creamy Pasta Salads with Tortellini, Greens or Eggs
These choices use filled pasta, a prepared herb dressing or hard-cooked eggs. They are suitable when you want different textures beyond a simple oil-dressed pasta, with final assembly timing that protects the greens and crunchy additions.
5. BLT Tortellini Pasta Salad
Refrigerated cheese tortellini are cooked and chilled before being tossed with tomatoes, shallot and a mayonnaise, sour cream and ranch dressing. Cooked bacon and dry romaine join near serving. Choose this for filled pasta rather than an ordinary short-noodle shape.
6. Green Goddess Pasta Salad
Asparagus and snap peas are briefly cooked, cooled and dried before joining pasta, arugula and tomatoes. Toasted pine nuts, Parmesan and ready-to-eat green goddess dressing complete the salad. It makes generous side portions and includes both vegetable preparation and nut toasting.
7. Deviled Egg Pasta Salad
Hard-cooked eggs flavor both the salad and its mustard dressing: some are chopped whole while reserved yolks are mashed into the sauce. Celery and onion add texture. The assembled pasta chills before the reserved egg whites are added on top.
Pasta Salads with Chicken or Beef
Finish with cooked chicken, a club-style combination or ground beef and barbecue dressing. These pasta salad recipes require the meat to be cooked and properly chilled before it is mixed into the cold salad.
8. Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Rotini, cooked chilled chicken and dry romaine are tossed with a homemade mayonnaise-based Caesar dressing containing anchovy paste and Parmesan. Optional croutons go on at serving. Choose this when you want Caesar flavors and have cooked chicken ready for a cold meal.
9. Chicken Club Pasta Salad
Corkscrew pasta, cooked chicken, bacon and Muenster are mixed with celery, pepper and tomatoes in an Italian-dressing-and-mayonnaise coating. Avocado and the remaining bacon are added near serving. The full method includes cooling the pasta and chilling the assembled salad.
10. Cowboy Bacon Pasta Salad
Ground beef and bowtie pasta are cooked and cooled separately before joining bacon, beans, corn, cheddar and vegetables. A mayonnaise-and-barbecue dressing coats the mixture near eating. Choose this for a larger, substantial batch with several preparation components.
Before You Choose Your Recipe
Choose pasta salad recipes by their dressing, protein and intended serving size. Allow time to cool cooked components, keep the salad chilled, and add the final greens or toppings when the recipe directs. The linked instructions explain how each combination is prepared and assembled.
