We love a good pasta salad, especially for picnics and potlucks. Our pasta salad recipes are bright, colorful, and packed with so much flavor and texture that everyone will go back for seconds.
Pasta Salad With Cheese and Walnuts
Blue cheese and walnuts are a perfect pairing in this quick and easy pasta salad.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of shelled walnuts
- 2 cups of dried fusilli pasta, cooked according to package instructions, drained, and chilled
- 2 cups broccolini, chopped
- 2 cups of Dolcelatte cheese, a sweet blue cheese (Roquefort works if you can't find Dolcelatte)
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons of walnut oil
- 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Toast the walnuts in the oven for 5 minutes and let them cool.
- Add the walnuts, pasta, broccolini, and cheese to a large bowl and toss to mix.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the walnut oil, olive oil, and vinegar. Taste and add salt and pepper.
- Toss the dressing with the salad. Chill for 2 hours before serving.
Make it a meal. Add 8 ounces of cooked chicken meat from a grocery store rotisserie chicken.
Asian-Inspired Pasta Salad
An Asian-inspired spin on pasta salad is a delicious way to use up leftover noodles. This salad has lots of bright flavor that you're going to love.
Ingredients
- 8 spaghetti, cooked according to package instructions, drained, and chilled
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 carrot, grated
- 2 cups of bean sprouts
- ½ a cucumber, halved and sliced
- 2 scallions, chopped finely on a bias
- ½ cup shredded purple cabbage
Dressing
- 5 tablespoons of coconut milk
- 3 tablespoons of lime juice
- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons of Thai fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon of chili oil
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 2 tablespoons of fresh cilantro chopped fine
- 2 tablespoons of fresh basil chopped fine
Garnish
- Sesame seeds
- Cilantro leaves
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss the noodles with sesame oil.
- Add the carrots, cucumber, bean sprouts, scallions, and cabbage.
- Toss to mix.
- In a small bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad.
- Garnish the salad with the sesame seeds and cilantro.
Pasta Salad With Bell Peppers & Chickpeas
I like to use fusilli for this salad. Fusilli is spiral-shaped pasta that can be found in rainbow colors, which will add a colorful touch to your salad.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces fusilli pasta, cooked according to package instructions, drained, and cooled
- 2 red bell peppers, cut in half and deseeded
- 1 small fresh red chili
- 1 red onion, diced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 (14-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
- 1 cup arugula
Dressing
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the pasta, red bell peppers, chili, onion, cherry tomatoes, garbanzo beans, and arugula. Toss to mix.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Toss with the salad.
- Chill for 2 hours before serving.
Creamy Tuna Pasta Salad
This creamy pasta salad can serve as a side dish, but it also makes a great main dish for lunch.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups small pasta shells, cooked according to package instructions, drained, and cooled
- 1½ cups frozen peas, thawed
- 1½ cups chopped carrots
- ¼ cup finely chopped red onion
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 (4-ounce) can tuna, drained
- ⅔ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine cooled pasta, peas, carrots, onion, tuna, and cherry tomatoes. Mix well.
- In another bowl, combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, sugar, dill weed, salt, and pepper. Blend well.
- Pour the mayonnaise dressing over the pasta mixture and toss lightly.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours or until thoroughly chilled.
Chilled Side Dishes
We love how easy and tasty pasta salads are. Plus, they're super customizable. Add your favorite veggies, herbs, cheese, and proteins to make a pasta salad your way.
