Once a pasta salad earns a repeat request, changing the summer menu becomes harder than making it again. These 11 pasta salads cover creamy classics, vinaigrette-dressed bowls, and hearty versions with bacon, shrimp, steak, chicken, or salmon. There are familiar picnic choices alongside pesto, pizza, deviled eggs, and Italian-inspired options. Most can be chilled ahead, so lunch, cookouts, and family dinners need less last-minute work.
Summer Bow Tie Pasta Salad
Colorful and crisp, Summer Bow Tie Pasta Salad brings farfalle, grape tomatoes, bell pepper, zucchini, yellow squash, black olives, and parsley together under a homemade red wine vinaigrette. The recipe takes 33 minutes and makes eight servings, giving the vegetables plenty of room around the pasta. Its chilled, bright texture works well beside grilled chicken, burgers, or ribs. Make it earlier in the day and refresh it with the reserved dressing before serving.
Get the Recipe: Summer Bow Tie Pasta Salad
BLT Pasta Salad – With Bacon!
Cool, creamy, and smoky, BLT Pasta Salad – With Bacon! turns the sandwich combination into an eight-serving pasta dish in 25 minutes. Crisp bacon, grape tomatoes, romaine, red onion, and parsley are folded through a dressing made with mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon, and lemon juice. Holding back the lettuce until serving keeps its crunch. Bring it to a cookout, or portion it for lunches when a plain sandwich will not do.
Get the Recipe: BLT Pasta Salad – With Bacon!
Picnic Bacon Pasta Salad
Rich without losing its picnic appeal, Picnic Bacon Pasta Salad combines bow tie pasta with bacon, cheddar, grape tomatoes, green bell pepper, and green onions. Its creamy dressing includes mayonnaise, sour cream, cider vinegar, smoked paprika, parsley, and dill. The recipe makes six servings in 50 minutes and benefits from a short chill. Spoon it beside fried chicken, pulled pork sandwiches, or burgers when the table needs a substantial cold side.
Get the Recipe: Picnic Bacon Pasta Salad
Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Shrimp
Bright and briny, Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Shrimp fills eight servings with tender orzo, shrimp, feta, chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, and sundried tomatoes. A lemon, olive oil, oregano, dill, and parsley dressing keeps the bowl lively without a heavy coating. The recipe takes 35 minutes, followed by chilling for fuller flavor. Serve it as lunch on its own or beside fish, kabobs, or grilled steak.
Get the Recipe: Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Shrimp
Steak & Pasta Salad
Hearty enough for a full lunch, Steak & Pasta Salad gives leftover steak a chilled second life with pasta, spinach, cherry tomatoes, corn, radishes, blue cheese, and red onion. A buttermilk ranch dressing made with mayonnaise, Dijon, lemon, garlic, and fresh herbs ties everything together. It makes eight servings in 25 minutes, then chills briefly before serving. Add the optional candied walnuts for crunch, or serve it beside other cookout sides.
Get the Recipe: Steak & Pasta Salad
Pizza Pasta Salad
Playful and familiar, Pizza Pasta Salad packs fusilli with pepperoni, pepper Jack cheese, grape tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion, parsley, and Italian seasoning. Italian dressing coats the twists, and the whole recipe takes 20 minutes for eight servings before its chill time. Optional olives, artichoke hearts, mozzarella, mushrooms, or jalapeños make it easy to adjust. Set it out at a potluck or pack it for a lunch that travels well.
Get the Recipe: Pizza Pasta Salad
Deviled Egg Pasta Salad
Creamy with a deviled-egg twist, Deviled Egg Pasta Salad mixes elbow macaroni with chopped hard-boiled eggs, celery, red onion, and red bell pepper. Mashed yolks form the base of a dressing with mayonnaise, sweet relish, Dijon, cider vinegar, and smoked paprika. It takes 20 minutes and makes eight servings, though chilling improves the flavor. Pair it with burgers, fried chicken, or sandwiches, then finish the bowl with chives before serving.
Get the Recipe: Deviled Egg Pasta Salad
Rotisserie Chicken Pasta Salad
Cool and filling without a heavy mayonnaise base, Rotisserie Chicken Pasta Salad combines bow tie pasta, diced chicken, roasted red peppers, red onion, basil, parsley, and garlic. Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and white wine vinegar make the creamy dressing. The recipe takes 30 minutes and serves six, making it useful for lunch or a cookout side. Toss in the dressing shortly before serving so the pasta stays creamy rather than soaking it all up.
Get the Recipe: Rotisserie Chicken Pasta Salad
Pesto Orzo Salad
Green, creamy, and dotted with color, Pesto Orzo Salad coats tender orzo with basil pesto, mayonnaise, and Parmesan before adding mozzarella pearls, grape tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, and green onions. The recipe takes 20 minutes and yields six servings, with toasted pine nuts and basil added at the end. Its small pasta shape makes every spoonful easy to serve. Pair it with grilled steak, smoked chicken, or a bowl of soup for lunch.
Get the Recipe: Pesto Orzo Salad
Salmon Pasta Salad
Fresh and substantial, Salmon Pasta Salad folds cooked salmon and chilled shell pasta into a creamy mixture of sour cream, mayonnaise, dill, parsley, lemon, and grated cucumber. The recipe serves ten, with 15 minutes of cook time listed on the card. Cucumber keeps the dressing moist while small pasta shapes catch it between bites. Serve it as a cool lunch, or place it beside grilled meats when seafood gives the table more range.
Get the Recipe: Salmon Pasta Salad
Italian Pasta Salad
Glossy and vegetable-packed, Italian Pasta Salad brings fusilli, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, black olives, mozzarella, sundried tomatoes, and basil under a scratch vinaigrette. The recipe makes eight servings in 1 hour 32 minutes, including an hour of chilling. Reserving part of the dressing prevents the pasta from drying out before serving. Prepare it the night before, then add the remaining vinaigrette and basil just before a cookout or family lunch.
Get the Recipe: Italian Pasta Salad