Looking for the best pasta salad for any occasion? From vegetarian to seafood, orzo to tortellini, this pasta salad recipe collection will undoubtedly satisfy your needs. Be inspired by the diverse flavours and creative use of ingredients.
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Pasta salads have evolved from a simple creamy macaroni salad to truly creative recipes that can elevate a feast, dinner table or a summer cookout from just good to wow!
While we all love the pasta salads that we grew up with, we also sometimes crave pasta salad recipes that are a little bit different as we move onto recipes that are anything but boring.
This best pasta salad collection showcases some traditional recipes, a mix of pasta salads that play on classic recipes we all know so well to some pasta salads that are beautifully assembled or really inventive in the recipe composition.
We also love a good pasta salad as it can withstand a warm summer’s day making them perfect additions to potluck parties, picnic and BBQ cookouts. They are also fantastic as a meal on its own and to pack up as a lunch time meal for school or work.
If you’re in need of some fresh ideas for the best pasta salad, you’ve come to the right place. With so many different varieties, you’ll surely find a pasta salad that would appeal to you.
The tough question now is; which one will you try first?
Best Pasta Salad Recipes: Vegetarian
Meatless Mondays have never been more exciting! So many different pasta salads with grilled vegetables, fresh produce and cheesy goodness. You may just have to extend your Mondays to include the rest of the week!
Asparagus Pasta Salad with Pecan Pesto
Fresh peas and asparagus pasta salad with a nutty and aromatic pecan pesto is a fantastic combination to whip up for a quick, tasty sides.
A great pasta dish that is also delicious as workday lunch. You can prepare in advance and enjoy the next day.
This healthy Zucchini Pasta Salad recipe may be the best vegetarian pasta salad to date!
Packed with sautéed zucchini, loads of parmesan cheese, fresh dill and crunchy walnuts.
Bowtie Pasta Salad with Parmesan Herb Dressing
This vibrant bowtie pasta salad is the perfect spring or summer side dish!
Each bite is filled with juicy tomatoes, chickpeas, and lots of fresh basil, and the pasta is tossed with a homemade parmesan herb dressing that is simply delicious.
Coleslaw Pasta Salad
Coleslaw Pasta Salad has all the crunch and flavour of coleslaw in a delicious pasta salad perfect for a potluck or summer barbecue.
This macaroni salad with coleslaw dressing has celery, green bell pepper, and cucumber for a substantial side dish that makes enough to feed a crowd.
Caprese pasta salad is a delicious pasta salad with the ingredients of caprese salad; fresh mozzarella, basil, and tomatoes, mixed with noodles and tossed with a balsamic vinegar dressing.
Its a delicious refreshing side dish, perfect to eat all summer long!
Halloumi Pasta Salad with Greek Herb Vinaigrette
This Halloumi Pasta Salad recipe is a delicious and colourful addition to any Summertime spread! Pasta, lots of veggies, olives and halloumi cheese make this easy recipe so crave worthy!
This pasta salad is tossed in a Greek Herb Vinaigrette that adds tons of zippy, herbaceous freshness. Salty, caramelized halloumi takes this pasta salad to a whole new level! It is so good! This recipe is a great make-ahead lunch or crowd-wowing side dish!
Adding to the list of the best pasta salad, you can’t go past a classic.
This delicious Italian Pasta Salad is made with fresh veggies, Italian cheeses and a tasty vinaigrette that will have your family begging for more.
Fresh Broccoli cut into bite size pieces, shredded cheese, and al dente pasta, this Broccoli Crunch Pasta Salad is a delicious side dish that is simple to make and great to share!
Tortellini Caprese salad has all the classic Italian flavours with sweet juicy tomatoes, fresh basil, and delicious mozzarella balls. Kick it up a notch by tossing in cheese tortellini for the ultimate pasta salad!
And the perfect finish: a drizzle of homemade balsamic glaze dressing!
Best Pasta Salad Recipes with Fish and Seafood
From mackerel to crab to hot smoked salmon, there are so many choices for making these special pasta salads. Best of all they don’t have to be enjoyed warm so they are great or packing up if you’re on the go.
Healthy Tuna Pasta Salad (No Mayo)
What could be better than a salad that can be made in advance, takes less than 15 minutes, is healthy and also super easy to make?
This healthy tuna pasta salad ticks all the right boxes in flavour, for the budget conscious and the time poor.
This just had to make the best pasta salad list, especially for those who are looking for a pasta salad that is not creamy.
Welcome spring with this Shrimp Pasta Primavera Salad! Packed with asparagus and snap peas, it’s perfect for a light dinner or picnic lunch.
The colours are so incredibly vibrant and top with the sweetness and crunch of the shrimp, this is so delicious!
Risoni Salad with Hot Smoked Salmon and Crab
Looking for an easy yet entertaining worthy pasta salad recipe? Elevate this Risoni Salad with the saltiness of the hot smoked salmon and the delicious flavours of crab meat.
It is so simple to make and incredibly moreish. It also keeps really well so if you have leftovers they make for a great packed lunch the next day.
Creamy Greek Pasta Salad with King Oscar Mackerel
This creamy Greek pasta salad is tossed with fresh veggies and King Oscar’s protein-rich Mediterranean-style mackerel for a summer side you’ll want to eat as a meal.
Pescatarian friendly, this makes such a great addition to the best pasta salad collection.
This Crab Pasta Salad recipe is perfect for your next potluck, cookout, or just a dinner side salad with great flavor. It is so quick to put together and will fill up the entire family.
This easy-to-throw-together recipe has only about 15 minutes of active time and is Midwest comfort dining perfection.
It is a great recipe for your next cookout or potluck and can be served for any meal where you might serve a coleslaw or a macaroni salad, but want a seafood twist.
This simple but filling and flavour packed Salmon Pasta Salad is ready in just 20 minutes. Delicious as either a main or a BBQ or picnic side, it’s easy to adapt, has lots of crunch and a zesty dressing that makes it perfect for summer.
It’s also a great lunch to pack up for work or in a school lunch box.
Green Goddess Pasta Salad
We all need a variety of salads for the BBQ and picnic season and this Green Goddess Pasta Salad recipe is sure to become a firm favourite. Creamy but fresh with a beautiful peppery kick!
One of the best pasta salad with tomatoes, mozzarella and artichokes with green goddess dressing.
Best Pasta Salad Recipes: Vegan
These vegan pasta salads just show us how creative we can be and the wide variety of flavours will only keep you coming back for more. From marinated mushrooms to spiced roasted butternut pumpkin, they are all so delicious!
Vegan Layered Pasta Salad with Pesto
Layered pasta salad packed with roast and fresh vegetables and a basil dill pesto. It is a gorgeous table centrepiece and perfect for the warmer seasons or Christmas!
This layered pasta salad is the perfect centrepiece and even features beautiful festive colours!
Seriously, how stunning is this?
This delicious pesto pasta salad with roasted vegetables comes together in just 30 minutes.
It’s also delicious, simple to make and perfect for picnics and pot-lucks or a quick weeknight vegan dinner.
Edamame Pasta Salad with Asparagus
It’s the simplest of tastes that sometimes commands the most attention. This Edamame Pasta Salad makes for a wonderful companion to any main meal.
Blanched asparagus and edamame stirred through warm risoni and topped with fragrant basil leaves. No dressing to spoil the clean flavours of the ingredients and perfect for heavy flavoured mains.
This Dill Pickle Pasta Salad recipe focuses squarely on the pickle flavour factor, perfect for those who love this flavour. The easy creamy pasta salad recipe features both pickles and dill pickle juice, as well as some fresh chopped dill. It is perfect for dill pickle fans!
While the pasta salad with dill pickles is a simple recipe, the results are creamy and delicious. It makes a perfect side for any family meal or gathering. Dill pickle pasta salad is a great dish for potlucks. You can conveniently make it ahead too, since it is even better the next day.
Risoni with Spiced Roasted Butternut Pumpkin
As far as a good winter salad recipe goes, nothing quite beats the wholesome combination of a hearty pasta and spiced roasted butternut pumpkin.
Roasted in aromatic spices such as cumin, coriander and paprika, the butternut pumpkin are morsels of warmth and bursting with flavour. Stirred through the risoni and pops of dried fruit, it’s a heavenly pasta salad for all.
This vegan Southwest pasta salad is delicious anytime but especially during the warm summer months. It’s light, refreshing, full of flavor, and perfect as a main dish, side dish or appetizer!
If you’re in need of a fantastic side dish for a party, picnic, barbecue, or just for dinner at home, this creamy southwestern pasta salad with chipotle dressing is hard to beat.
With its mixture of spices, lime juice, corn, black beans, and more, it’s an amazing twist on your standard pasta salad recipe.
Southwestern Orzo Pasta Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
Southwestern Orzo Pasta Salad with Cilantro – Lime Dressing is a fun, colourful and super flavourful addition to your Southwestern or Mexican-inspired meal!
Easy Marinated Mushroom Pasta Salad
Easy Marinated Mushroom Pasta Salad is full of aromatic vegetables, olives and penne pasta. It is tossed in a simple olive-mustard vinaigrette and is perfect for picnics or potlucks.
Pasta Salads are a must for summer entertaining. Whether you’re doing a backyard BBQ or going on a picnic, this Marinated Mushroom Pasta Salad is sure to hit the spot.
This healthy pasta salad has the perfect mix of grilled veggies and Kalamata olives and is tossed in a lemon vinaigrette.
It’s a great way to use up those summer vegetables.
Let’s just get to it with this healthy pasta salad situation – a lemon and pea pasta salad that’s everything you want and nothing you don’t!
Spring and summer produce tend to be so full of flavour and they usually require little work to enjoy.
Best Pasta Salad Recipes with Protein
Chicken, bacon and ham….what delicious ingredients to add to a pasta salad. They are also great especially if you have a ton of leftovers from your Sunday roast or post Thanksgiving and Christmas. Either way, they are all so good!
Peas and Pasta Salad with Prosciutto
A quick and easy pasta salad covered with a savoury anchovy, parsley and ricotta dressing with pops of green peas and crispy prosciutto, we know you are going to love it.
Great pasta with prosciutto recipe, perfect for lunches on the go and sunny outdoor picnics.
Cajun Maque Choux Macaroni Salad
This Cajun salad recipe with crispy bacon and corn, is a must-try, new go-to, summer-loving must-do.
Inspired by the classic, Maque Choux, this Cajun macaroni salad recipe is easy, approachable, make-ahead, kid friendly, and pot-luck perfect.
Turkey Pasta Salad (Without Mayo)
This turkey pasta salad is packed with fresh ingredients, with a creamy maple tahini dressing.
Perfect for BBQs, potlucks and summer picnics, it will be a sure-fire hit with friends and family and is super easy to make!
This Mango Chicken Pasta Salad is a fresh and different way to enjoyed cold pasta this summer. It is a little different but bursting with flavor!
Tender chunks of chicken, crisp bell peppers mixed with pasta, and then coated in a delicious mango dressing.
The dressing is easy to make in a blender or food processor, plus you can use fresh, frozen, canned mango or mango puree!
10 Minute Tuscan Tortellini Salad
Salty olives, fresh basil, and delicious marinated artichokes bring this cold 10 Minute Tuscan Tortellini Salad together in no time!
Gluten-Free Caprese Pasta Salad
Gluten-Free Caprese Pasta Salad is full of flavour and the perfect side dish for summer cookouts!
Soft gluten-free pasta, cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese and basil are tossed in a tangy balsamic vinaigrette. A drizzle of balsamic reduction adds a sweet finish.
Gluten Free Pasta Salad with Tarragon Mustard Chicken
This black bean spaghetti is an excellent ingredient for a healthy Gluten Free Pasta Salad. Add some lean, baked chicken and you’ll have a hearty salad to have as a side or a meal on its own.
The vibrant colours of black pasta makes the dish pop and if you’re entertaining, this is such a great pasta salad to serve your family and friends! Bot to mention that the tarragon chicken is simply yum!
Cold Asian Pasta Salad Recipe with Chicken
This 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.
Ham Pasta Salad made with peas, cheddar cheese, dill, and a delicious Greek yogurt and mayo dressing is sure to be your new favourite pasta salad.
Plus, it’s ready in just minutes and a great way to use leftover ham!
One of my favorite easy meals is this super simple chicken pesto pasta salad!
It’s light, fresh, and comes together in less than 20 minutes! With creamy pesto and mascarpone cheese, grilled chicken, spinach, and tomatoes it’s the perfect summer lunch!
Ensalada de Coditos (Macaroni Salad)
This Macaroni Salad also known as Ensalada de Coditos (elbow pasta) is nostalgic and easy, made with a handful of affordable ingredients.
This creamy and delicious salad can be made in less than 30 minutes.
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