Cold Pasta Salad Recipes - Easy, Italian, Tuna & More! Fantabulosity (2024)

Salad recipes are our FAVORITE around here, so this roundup of cold pasta salad recipes fits right in!

Whether you need cold pasta salad recipesfor a potluck, spring dinner ideas, for a fun picnic food idea, or just looking for a side dish that doesn’t require turning on the oven, here are some of the BEST pasta salad recipes to choose from!

“Pin” your favorites to your favorite board on Pinterest so you have them when you need them!

Post originally published in January 2019, updated in June 2023.

Cold Pasta Salad Recipes - Easy, Italian, Tuna & More! Fantabulosity (1)

Pasta Salad Recipes

During the warmer months, the last thing you want to do is turn on your oven to make lunch or dinner.

With these cold pasta salad recipes, use a little heat once, and enjoy it for days without turning on the oven!

Here you’ll find some that make the perfect dinner or even a side dish to bring to a party!

Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

This 6 ingredient bacon ranch pasta salad is so simple and delicious. Perfect for potlucks, barbecues or a weeknight side dish.

Chicken Macaroni Salad

An easy recipe using pasta, mayo, mustard, seasoned salt, pepper, celery, onion, and chicken to create a side dish favorite!

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

It may sound odd to put pasta in a lettuce salad but talk about DELICIOUS! You will have a hard time going back to a regular Caesar salad after this one!

Zesty Italian Pasta Salad

This super easy recipe is made using any type of pasta you prefer, a few other simple ingredients, and Zesty Italian dressing!

Shrimp Macaroni Salad

The flavors in this shrimp macaroni salad are absolutely amazing and it only uses simple ingredients that you may even already have on hand!

Tuna Pasta Salad

With easy ingredients and most of them being items that you can keep on hand, and even in the pantry… this recipe is a perfect last-minute option!

Thai Salad Recipe with Noodles and Cabbage

Thai Salad Recipe with Noodles and Cabbage is the perfect way to enjoy all those Thai flavors. Super simple to make and packed full of flavor and texture.

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BBQ Pasta Salad with Tuna

This BBQ Pasta Salad with Tuna from My Crazy Good Life is way more exciting than your traditional pasta salad recipe, but with all the flavors of a backyard barbecue.

Cold Pasta Salad Recipes - Easy, Italian, Tuna & More! Fantabulosity (10)

Creamy Summer Pasta Salad

With this Creamy Summer Pasta Salad from Fun Food Frolic, you can enjoy all the flavors of summer in one simple meal.

Cold Pasta Salad Recipes - Easy, Italian, Tuna & More! Fantabulosity (11)

Greek Pasta Salad

This Greek Pasta Salad from The Baking Fairy requires minimal cooking time, so you can have dinner on the table in minutes!

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Peach Pasta Salad

This unique Chicken and Peach Pasta Salad from A Magical Mess is bursting with flavor and is the perfect dish to change things up without heating up your home.

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Sriracha Shrimp Pasta Salad

This Sriracha Shrimp Pasta Salad from Accidental Happy Baker is so easy to make ahead and is both spicy and fresh!

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Primavera Pasta Salad

This quick and easy Primavera Pasta Salad from It Bakes Me Happy is perfect for busy nights, and a break from the traditional pasta salad recipes.

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Asparagus Tortellini Pasta Salad

This Asparagus Tortellini Pasta Salad from Who Needs a Cape brings summertime to the table in a unique and veggie filled way!

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Broccoli Seafood Salad

This quick and easy Broccoli Seafood Pasta Salad from Confessions of an Overworked Mom, is so simple to make and perfect for busy days.

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Tri Colored Pasta Salad

This Tricolor Pasta Salad from Courtney’s Sweets is so easy to make and perfect for picnics or barbecues.

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Broccoli Lemon Pasta Salad

This delicious mayo-free Broccoli Lemon Pasta Salad from Home Cooking Memories is perfect for picky eaters who don’t like mayo.

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Tortellini Caprese Salad

This delicious Tortellini Caprese Salad Who Needs a Cape has some of the best flavors of summer all in one pasta salad.

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Roasted Veggie Pasta Salad

Zucchini, tomatoes, sweet onions and peppers make this filling pasta salad super healthy and easy to make on a busy night.

Cold Pasta Salad Recipes - Easy, Italian, Tuna & More! Fantabulosity (21)

Vegan Macaroni Salad

This summertime Vegan Macaroni Salad Vegan Huggs is the perfect way to feed those on a special diet, and still enjoy the deliciousness of pasta salad.

More Easy Side Dish Recipes?

You’ll only find delicious and easy recipes here, so get your “pinning” onand fill your Pinterest boards with our recipes for easy meal planning!

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Tired of Searching for Recipes?

Wellif you’re here for the first time, then you’ll want to get your hands on my NEW cookbook, Fabulously Fast Dinners.

Aren’t you tired of spending hours thinking about what the main dish to make for your family, and then realizing you STILL need a side dish to go with it?

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Cold Pasta Salad Recipes - Easy, Italian, Tuna & More! Fantabulosity (2024)

FAQs

Should you let pasta cool before making pasta salad? ›

My Best Pasta Salad Tips

I find that the higher time range listed on box instructions is usually just about right for pasta salad. Let your pasta cool completely before tossing it with the other ingredients. If it's still warm, the hot pasta will start to cook and wilt the veggies.

How long does Italian pasta salad last in the fridge? ›

The majority of pasta salads will last between three to five days in the refrigerator. This is provided you are storing the salad properly, in an airtight container so as to prevent any harmful bacteria from growing in your salad.

How do you keep cold pasta salad from drying out? ›

Add juicy ingredients.

Because pasta salad wants to dry out as it sits, I like to load mine up with secret, juicy weapons — ingredients that deliver both flavor and moisture (think: olives, capers, pickles, and peppers). These can help build flavor (zippy! Briny!

Do you rinse pasta for cold pasta salad? ›

If you're making a dish that will be served chilled or at room temp—think cold soba, rice noodles, pasta salad—you do want to rinse so that you get toothsome (sorry) individual strands rather than one big gummy clump. Certain types of noodles benefit from a rinse in almost all applications.

What to avoid when making salad? ›

20 Mistakes You Need To Avoid When Making Salad
  1. Not washing the lettuce. ...
  2. Not drying the lettuce. ...
  3. Not adding other greens. ...
  4. Not massaging kale and other tougher greens. ...
  5. Using bagged lettuce. ...
  6. Cutting the vegetables into pieces that are either too large or too small. ...
  7. Not adding a protein. ...
  8. Not properly tossing the salad.
Jun 8, 2023

Should I dress my pasta salad the night before? ›

If you are using fresh herbs: be sure to make the dressing at least a couple of hours ahead of time or the night before. This will allow the full flavor of the herbs to be infused with the other ingredients.

How to keep pasta salad from absorbing dressing? ›

Pasta absorbs liquids, because it is made of starch, and starch absorbs water. Tossing the pasta with oil will reduce the absorption, by coating them in a water-repellent layer. Beyond this, the solution is simple: don't drain as much water from the cooked pasta, and add more dressing.

Can I eat 5 day old pasta salad? ›

If you have leftover pasta salad, you can store it in the fridge for 3-5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

What is pasta salad dressing made of? ›

There are endless iterations of pasta salad dressing, and all are wonderful in their own right, but this is version inspired by Italian dressing. It's made of olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, dried oregano, and a bit of Dijon mustard for creaminess.

Why is pasta salad better the next day? ›

At this point the pasta salad will have absorbed all of the dressing from the first time you dressed it, so it desperately needs more. This prevents it from being dry and flavorless and gives it a big, bold flavor — making it taste as fresh as the first day you made it.

How to stop tuna pasta from drying out? ›

The pasta absorbs liquid, so you should use a generous amount of sauce to keep the dish moist. Your tuna casserole can also become dry due to overbaking. Even if it turns out perfect when you first cook it, it may still dry out when you reheat it.

Should you let pasta cool before adding mayonnaise? ›

While oil-based dressings can be applied even to hot pasta, make sure to let the pasta cool to a warm temperature before mixing in a mayo-based one. Mayonnaise is susceptible to separating, but it can be warmed as long as it's not overheated.

Why does my pasta salad taste weird? ›

Vinegar and other acidic ingredients do strange things to the flavor of pasta when used in salad-level amounts. Ever notice an irritating acerbic aftertaste just about every time you've eaten pasta salad? That's the vinegar announcing itself, and it's not pleasant.

What are the seven things that you should not do when preparing the salad? ›

Common Salad Mistakes
  1. Here are seven things you should NOT do when making salads: Too much dressing. ...
  2. Pouring on the dressing. ...
  3. Wet salad leaves. ...
  4. Not seasoning it. ...
  5. Subpar salad dressings. ...
  6. Uncreative toppings. ...
  7. Served in a bowl.
May 13, 2013

When creating a salad what 5 factors should you consider? ›

But today, I am going to teach you how to make a salad without using a recipe so you, too, can become a salad artist. Sound like a deal? There are five elements to a perfect salad: greens, sweetness, creaminess, crunchiness, and dressing. Let's talk about each one.

What is necessary to avoid when making fresh pasta? ›

15 Mistakes To Avoid When Making Fresh Pasta
  1. Not using the well method to mix your pasta. ...
  2. Using the wrong type of flour. ...
  3. Using too many egg whites. ...
  4. Not using the correct dry-to-wet ingredient ratio. ...
  5. Not adding semolina. ...
  6. Under-kneading your pasta dough. ...
  7. Forgetting to rest your pasta dough. ...
  8. Rolling out your pasta by hand.
Feb 1, 2023

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