Easy Pasta Salad recipes are one of the most popular BBQ side dishes as well as the perfect potluck item as they can be utilized as main dishes or side dishes! Pasta salads are great to use up vegetables in your fridge and leftover meats such as pepperoni from pizza night and salami from sandwich fixings!
This collection is full of creamy pasta salad recipes, classic Italian pasta salads, fun ones like Taco Pasta Salad, and BBQ versions! Gluten-free, chicken pasta salads, veggie salad versions, and more! There is something for everyone. Do you have a particular salad that you deem the best pasta salad?
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Common Ingredients for Pasta Salads
Pastas
America’s Test Kitchen ranks fusilli as the #1 pasta for pasta salad, however, these are also very fun and common:
- Rotini
- Farfalle
- Orzo
- Penne
- Fusilli
- Macaroni
- Gemelli
Pasta Salad Add-ins
The list of add-ins is almost endless, but here are some of the most common ingredients for cold pasta salad recipes.
- Cucumbers
- Red Onions
- Tomatoes
- Bell Peppers
- Zucchini
- Salami
- Pepperoni
- Black and Green Olives
- Fresh Herbs: Basil, Mint, Parsley
- Cheeses: Mozzarella, Shredded, Parmesan, Feta
- Red Wine Vinegar, Champagne Vinegar, Olive Oil
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Orzo Pasta Salad
This Orzo Pasta Salad combines tomatoes, cucumbers, feta cheese, salami, and more – all tossed with Italian dressing. Although orzo may be small, it’s quite the mighty pasta, packed with fiber to keep you feeling satisfied and full.
Italian Orzo Salad
Easy Pasta Salad
This easy pasta salad is great to use what you have in your fridge. The recipe calls for chunks of cheese, ham and paired with corn, black olives, and cherry tomatoes! The dressing is from a bottle…hence “easy” and the tri-color rotini noodles add more pops of color!
Easy Pasta Salad
Caprese Pasta Salad
One of my favorite summer salads turned pasta salad! Perfect for summer when ingredients are their freshest and this pasta salad can be used as a meal itself or as a side dish! The mini mozzarella balls may be my favorite!
Caprese Pasta Salad Recipe
Lemon Basil Pasta Salad
Lemon Basil Pasta Salad is a light and refreshing alternative to classic pasta salads. It’s full of fresh flavor and is made in minutes with a few simple ingredients. The shreds of parmesan cheese give this pasta salad an elegant appearance!
Basil Lemon Pasta Salad
MORE GREAT SIDE DISHES YOU WILL LOVE
Classic Italian Pasta Salad
Perfect for these hot summer days, this cold pasta dish is super light and can even easily be altered to be a vegetarian pasta dish as well. This dish is low in saturated fat and you can control the sodium levels. The rotini pasta noodles add a fun element and this recipe uses Mozzarella cheese and shredded cheese!
Easy Italian Summer Pasta Salad
Macaroni Salad
This is one of my most favorite ways to use elbow macaroni noodles! The peas in this pasta salad give the perfect bit of green and fun flavor! Kids love this pasta salad!
Classic Macaroni Salad
Greek Pasta Salad
A brilliant combination of cucumbers, kalamata olives, red onion, cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, and Greek dressing! Mix with your favorite pasta in a large mixing bowl and you will have a flavor explosion!
Easy Greek Pasta Salad
Sweet Broccoli Apple Pasta Salad
When spring and summer are in full swing, this sweet broccoli apple salad with pasta makes the perfect side dish for all your BBQs, and potlucks. This healthy but still creamy side dish is fresh and deliciously full of sweet Honeycrisp apples, carrots, broccoli, and raisins all mixed with pasta.
Sweet Broccoli Apple Pasta Salad
Orzo Pasta Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
I adore this orzo pasta salad from my friend, Rachael. The Lemon Vinaigrette is the perfect pasta salad dressing! I add some grilled chicken breasts on top and make it the main dish and I make it as per her instructions and my neighbors LOVE it when we get together for parties!
Orzo Pasta Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
Zesty Tex-Mex Chicken Pasta Salad
If you aren’t sure what you fancy for dinner – Tex-Mex, chicken, something with pasta, or a salad – try this! It’s a southwest pasta salad with chicken offering the best of all worlds.
Zesty Tex Mex Chicken Pasta Salad
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Chicken & Bacon Ceasar Pasta Salad
Ready in under 30 minutes, this Chicken and Bacon Caesar Pasta Salad is a perfect side dish to have at your next barbecue. The Farfalle pasta noodles are a favorite amongst kids and adults alike and this recipe uses ingredients you probably already have on hand, this pasta salad is creamy, cheesy, and full of bacon!
Chicken and Bacon Caesar Pasta Salad
Easy Pesto Pasta Salad
Pesto pasta salad is a super easy cold salad perfect as a side or as a meal on its own. Packed with cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil pesto, this dish is always a hit at parties and barbeques but also makes a great lunch.
Easy Summer Pesto Pasta Salad
Gluten-Free Pasta Salad with Asparagus
Pasta salad with asparagus, gluten-free rotini, cherry tomatoes, black olives, gouda cheese, salami, olive oil, and seasonings! Such a delicious, quick, and easy summertime classic. Ready in 25 minutes or less, this is the perfect salad to serve at a summer celebration.
Pasta Salad With Asparagus | Gluten Free Recipe!
Asian Pasta Salad with Chicken
Asian Pasta Salad Recipe with Chicken is fresh, crunchy, and utterly irresistible. Filled with juicy chicken, fried wontons, crunchy greens, sweet mandarins, and the very best Asian sesame vinaigrette, it’s easy to enjoy this Asian Pasta Salad as a satisfying lunch or light dinner.
Asian Pasta Salad
Taco Pasta Salad
Taco Pasta Salad is a fun way to bring Taco Tuesday to your favorite BBQ or potluck! All the flavors of taco salad with the bonus of pasta! Yum!
Taco Pasta Salad
Deviled Egg Pasta Salad
Simple and creamy deviled egg pasta salad with macaroni, bacon, and mayo. A delicious way of using some of those leftover hard-boiled eggs and this pasta dish tastes exactly like a deviled egg!
Deviled Egg Pasta Salad
Loaded Southwestern BBQ Pasta Salad
Southwestern BBQ Pasta Salad — an easy make-ahead pasta salad that’s loaded with flavor, veggies, and fun! Your whole family will love it!
Loaded Southwestern BBQ Pasta Salad
Creamy Pasta Salad with Chicken
A high-protein pasta salad made with bowtie pasta, seared chicken breasts, fresh vegetables, and a low-calorie spicy yogurt dressing! Perfect as a quick and easy lunch or dinner for those hot sunny days!
Creamy Spicy Chicken Pasta Salad
Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad
This roasted vegetable pasta salad is easy to make, full of flavor, and perfect for lunch or a side, or to take to a BBQ, picnic, or potluck.
Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad
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