A pasta salad stops feeling like a token side once it has enough protein, cheese, vegetables, and bold dressing to hold the plate on its own. These 11 recipes cover everything from steak and shrimp to salmon, rotisserie chicken, bacon, eggs, pesto, and mozzarella. Some are creamy, others use vinaigrette, and every one has enough substance for lunch, a light dinner, or the most substantial dish at a cookout. They still sit comfortably beside grilled food, but nobody will wonder where the rest of the meal went.
Summer Bow Tie Pasta Salad
Colorful and crisp, Summer Bow Tie Pasta Salad turns farfalle into a substantial chilled dish in 33 minutes. Grape tomatoes, orange bell pepper, zucchini, yellow squash, black olives, and parsley are coated in a garlic-red wine vinaigrette. The recipe makes eight servings, giving it enough volume for a cookout table or several lunches. Add grilled chicken or canned beans, as the recipe suggests, when you want to push it fully into main-dish territory.
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BLT Pasta Salad – With Bacon!
Smoky, creamy, and crunchy, BLT Pasta Salad – With Bacon! brings the sandwich combination into an eight-serving pasta dish in 25 minutes. Bacon, grape tomatoes, romaine, red onion, and parsley are folded through a mayo, sour cream, Dijon, and lemon dressing. The bacon and pasta make it filling enough for lunch, while the lettuce keeps the bowl from eating too heavy. Hold the lettuce until serving when making it ahead so the texture stays crisp.
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Steak & Pasta Salad
Steakhouse flavors give Steak & Pasta Salad enough substance to move easily between side dish and dinner. The 25-minute recipe serves eight with sliced cooked steak, baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, corn, radishes, blue cheese, and red onion. A buttermilk ranch dressing with herbs, Dijon, lemon, and garlic ties the bowl together. Serve it chilled after a busy day, or pack it for lunch when a plain pasta salad would not carry you through the afternoon.
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Italian Pasta Salad
Bright and glossy rather than heavy, Italian Pasta Salad serves eight after 32 minutes of prep and cooking plus a one-hour chill. Fusilli is mixed with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, black olives, mozzarella balls, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil. The scratch red wine vinaigrette keeps the salad free of mayo and helps it hold well for make-ahead meals. Bring it to a potluck or serve it beside grilled food when the table needs a side with real staying power.
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Pizza Pasta Salad
Cheesy and savory, Pizza Pasta Salad packs familiar pizza flavors into a 20-minute bowl that serves eight. Fusilli, sliced pepperoni, pepper Jack cheese, bell pepper, red onion, grape tomatoes, parsley, and Italian dressing give every scoop a mix of richness and freshness. Pepperoni and cheese make it more substantial than a basic vinaigrette pasta salad. Chill it before serving, then use it for a cookout, casual dinner, or packed lunch that needs very little else.
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Picnic Bacon Pasta Salad
Creamy with smoky edges, Picnic Bacon Pasta Salad combines farfalle, bacon, sharp cheddar, grape tomatoes, green bell pepper, and green onions in 50 minutes. The mayonnaise and sour cream dressing gets extra depth from cider vinegar, bacon fat, smoked paprika, parsley, and dill. Six servings make it a sturdy choice for a smaller picnic or family dinner. Pair it with grilled meat, or let the bacon and cheese carry it as a cold lunch on a hot afternoon.
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Deviled Egg Pasta Salad
Tangy and rich, Deviled Egg Pasta Salad blends the familiar filling of deviled eggs with elbow macaroni in a 20-minute recipe for eight. Six hard-boiled eggs, mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, Dijon, celery, red onion, red bell pepper, and smoked paprika create a creamy bowl with plenty of texture. The eggs give it enough protein to stand in for lunch. Serve it cold at a barbecue, or portion it into containers for an easy midday meal.
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Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Shrimp
Fresh and hearty at once, Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Shrimp serves eight in 35 minutes. Orzo, shrimp, feta, chickpeas, grape tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, and red onion are tossed with a lemon, olive oil, oregano, dill, and parsley dressing. Shrimp and chickpeas give the salad enough weight for dinner without making it heavy. Pack it for lunch or serve it chilled when you want one bowl to cover protein, pasta, and vegetables.
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Pesto Orzo Salad
Creamy with a strong basil note, Pesto Orzo Salad comes together in 20 minutes and makes six servings. Orzo is coated with pesto, mayonnaise, and Parmesan, then mixed with pearl mozzarella, grape tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, green onions, lemon juice, and toasted pine nuts. The cheese and nuts make each serving more filling than its small pasta shape suggests. Chill it for a cookout side, or add it to a lunch plate that needs something substantial but easy to carry.
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Salmon Pasta Salad
Cool, herby, and substantial, Salmon Pasta Salad uses chilled orecchiette and cooked salmon for a bowl that serves ten. The recipe card lists five minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking, with grated cucumber, sour cream, mayonnaise, dill, parsley, and lemon rounding out the dressing. Salmon makes this one especially suited to a complete lunch or light dinner. Use leftover grilled, baked, or pan-fried salmon, then keep the finished salad cold until serving.
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Rotisserie Chicken Pasta Salad
Practical but far from plain, Rotisserie Chicken Pasta Salad turns cooked chicken into a six-serving meal in 30 minutes. Bow tie pasta, diced rotisserie chicken, roasted red peppers, red onion, basil, parsley, and garlic are coated in a Greek yogurt dressing with lemon and white wine vinegar. The chicken gives the chilled bowl enough heft for dinner while the herbs keep it fresh. Serve it for lunch, bring it to a picnic, or use it when leftovers need a new direction.
Get the Recipe: Rotisserie Chicken Pasta Salad