15+ Best Pasta Salad Recipes - MyRecipes (2024)

Credit: Andrew McCaul; Styling: Lynn Miller

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Ham Pasta Salad Recipe

Our Ham Pasta Salad is a great way to use leftover glazed ham—the lemon dressing brightens it up for Easter and offsets the ham’s sweetness, while the fresh parsley adds sprigs of color. The secret to the sauce is using the pasta water, so remember to keep it—if you do dump it out on accident, you can just use chicken stock.

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BLT Pasta Salad Recipe

If you’re looking for a foolproof side to take to your next barbecue or potluck, you’ve come to the right place. This BLT Pasta Salad is essentially a BLT in a bowl, and who could turn that down? It’s creamy and crunchy, just like the sandwich, and packs a delicious punch, especially with the use of fresh tomatoes and lettuce.

Grow-Up Pasta Salad image

Grown-Up Pasta Salad Recipe

You know that pasta salad from childhood (you know the one—rotini, canned olives, underripe grape tomatoes, cubed cheese)? It showed up at cookouts, sleepovers and every occasion in between, and it holds a special place in hearts a plenty—or at least it does around our office.

Leftovers Lunchbox Pasta Salad image

Leftovers Lunchbox Pasta Salad Recipe

Last night’s leftovers are anything but boring in this simple, yet delicious lunch. Crunchy veggies and rich meat add great texture, and paired with pasta, each forkful is a perfect bite. The tangy dressing cuts through the richness and adds great flavor to bland pasts. Plus, it’s a sneaky way to pack protein and veggies into your kid’s lunch.

Three-Bean Pasta Salad

Three-Bean Pasta Salad Recipe

We combined two potluck classics—pasta salad and three-bean salad—to make one tasty new side dish. Blanched celery is the unexpected star in this side dish; it has a tender-crisp texture and bright green color. Swap out the canned beans for your favorite cooked field peas.

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Pasta Salad with Tuna, Olives and Parsley Recipe

Your standard pasta salad recipe is getting a refresh. Light, tangy, and flavorful, this tuna pasta salad is an easy addition to any summer party or potluck. Flaky tuna, briny black olives, sweet cherry tomatoes, and a bright squeeze of lemon juice all come together in this tuna pasta salad recipe.

Warm Pasta Salad with Tomatoes and Eggplant

Warm Pasta Salad with Tomatoes and Eggplant Recipe

Congratulations—You just found your new go-to pasta salad! This veggie-packed beauty is nice and filling, thanks to meaty eggplant. If you can’t find burrata, simply tear 6 ounces of fresh mozzarella into bite-size pieces. Heading to a potluck? Feel free to make this recipe ahead of time.

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Credit: Courtesy of The Food Gays

Deli-Style Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe

Reminiscent of deli-style salads we’ve all ordered at one time or another, this easy and delicious recipe works overtime providing you with an effortless dinner and even-tastier leftovers the next day. Like most pasta salads, this one tastes best once chilled for 24 hours, and because of its large yield, can be enjoyed for lunch throughout the week.

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Credit: Photo courtesy of The Food Gays

Grilled Corn Pasta Salad Recipe

This vibrant, flavor-packed summer side dish combines a bounty of favorite seasonal flavors into a single, epic pasta salad. The recipe comes from our friends The Food Gays, and they developed this colorful grilled corn dish as a fresher, brighter alternative to the typical mayo-based pasta salads that often show up a summer parties.

Herby Pea and Lemon Pasta Salad image

Herby Pea and Lemon Pasta Salad Recipe

This verdant pasta salad signals a fantastic start to spring with a shower of fresh herbs. Mini shell pasta and peas are a perfect pair—the pasta serves as a kind of catcher’s mitt for the sweet, bright green peas. You could also use orecchiette, an ear-shaped pasta that serves the same purpose.

Pesto Pasta Salad with Tomatoes and Mozzarella

Pesto Pasta Salad with Tomatoes and Mozzarella Recipe

This bright and fresh Caprese-inspired pasta toss is the ultimate summer main for a busy weeknight, outdoor picnic, or lunch on the go. With just two steps, it couldn't be easier.

Caprese Pasta Salad

Caprese Pasta Salad Recipe

This Caprese Pasta Salad recipe is made up of delicious mozzarella balls, cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil. We love the way ourBasic Vinaigrettecomplements this refreshing summer side or main dish, but you can always customize the recipe if you prefer a milder taste.

Endive Salad with Pasta and Radicchio

Endive Salad with Pasta and Radicchio Recipe

Here's an easy way to make use of endive—that torpedo-like cousin of escarole and chicory. The parmesan and pasta both even out the bitter flavors of the leafy veggies here, giving a complex burst of flavor that isn't overwhelming. Serve it with your favorite kind of chicken thighs.

Roasted Chicken and Bow Tie Pasta Salad

Roasted Chicken and Bow Tie Pasta Salad Recipe

Use rotisserie chicken from the deli to cut preparation time on this chicken pasta salad recipe. Serve it for dinner tonight, and then pack the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

Greek Pasta Salad

Greek Pasta Salad Recipe

Mediterranean flavors shine in Greek Pasta Salad that provides a satisfying—and quick—one-dish dinner.

Caesar Pasta Salad

Caesar Pasta Salad Recipe

Make a creamy Caesar salad dressing and add to cooked fusilli pasta, along with tomatoes and Parmesan cheese, for a flavorful side dish pasta salad.