Pasta salad gets a lot more useful when it is built like more than a bowl of noodles and dressing. This list leans into the versions with bacon, steak, eggs, salmon, chicken, pepperoni, pesto, cheese, and plenty of vegetables, so each bowl has enough going on for cookouts, lunches, potlucks, and busy-night dinners. You’ll find quick chilled sides, make-ahead bowls, and a few hearty salads that can carry the plate on their own.
Picnic Bacon Pasta Salad
Built with farfalle, grape tomatoes, green bell pepper, cheddar, bacon, and green onions, Picnic Bacon Pasta Salad turns a cold pasta bowl into a 50-minute side with plenty of bite. The creamy dressing uses mayonnaise, sour cream, cider vinegar, bacon fat, smoked paprika, parsley, dill, garlic powder, and onion powder. Serve it right away or chill it before the table fills up. Makes 6 servings for picnics, BBQ plates, or a make-ahead family lunch.
Get the Recipe: Picnic Bacon Pasta Salad
Steak & Pasta Salad
Leftover cooked steak gets a second life in Steak & Pasta Salad, where 8 ounces of sliced steak joins pasta, baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, radishes, corn, blue cheese, red onion, and candied walnuts. A buttermilk ranch dressing with mayo, Dijon, lemon juice, garlic, and herbs pulls the bowl together in 25 minutes. Chill it for 20 minutes before serving. Makes 8 servings for a lunch bowl that can also sit beside smoky cookout mains.
Get the Recipe: Steak & Pasta Salad
Deviled Egg Pasta Salad
With 6 hard-boiled eggs, elbow macaroni, celery, red onion, red bell pepper, sweet pickle relish, Dijon, and mayo, Deviled Egg Pasta Salad brings deviled egg flavor into a 20-minute pasta side. Apple cider vinegar, sugar, black pepper, and smoked paprika round out the dressing without making the bowl too heavy. Serve it with burgers, fried chicken, or sandwiches. Makes 8 servings, so it works well when one scoop is never enough.
Get the Recipe: Deviled Egg Pasta Salad
BLT Pasta Salad – With Bacon!
Crisp bacon, grape tomatoes, romaine lettuce, red onion, parsley, and dried pasta make BLT Pasta Salad – With Bacon! feel like the sandwich took a turn through the salad bowl. The dressing mixes mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper, then the finished salad chills for at least 30 minutes. Ready in 25 minutes. Makes 8 servings for barbecues, potlucks, or an easy cold lunch.
Get the Recipe: BLT Pasta Salad – With Bacon!
Summer Bow Tie Pasta Salad
Garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, Italian seasoning, honey, Dijon, and red onion start the dressing for Summer Bow Tie Pasta Salad before farfalle, grape tomatoes, bell pepper, zucchini, yellow squash, black olives, and parsley join in. The pasta cooks in about 11 to 13 minutes, and the full salad is ready in 33 minutes. Serve it chilled or as a colorful side with grilled chicken. Makes 8 servings for warm-weather meals.
Get the Recipe: Summer Bow Tie Pasta Salad
Salmon Pasta Salad
Cooked salmon, orecchiette, grated cucumber, sour cream, mayonnaise, dill, parsley, and lemon juice give Salmon Pasta Salad enough body to stand alone as lunch. The recipe uses 5 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking, with the pasta chilled under cold water before everything is mixed. Serve it as a main-course salad or next to grilled steak or smoked pork. Makes 10 servings when a lighter seafood bowl still needs to feed people.
Get the Recipe: Salmon Pasta Salad
Pesto Orzo Salad
Orzo, basil pesto, mayonnaise, Parmesan, mozzarella pearls, grape tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, green onions, lemon juice, pine nuts, and basil make Pesto Orzo Salad a 20-minute bowl with creamy, herby flavor. The orzo is cooked al dente, rinsed cold, mixed with pesto and cheese, then chilled for about 30 minutes before serving. Spoon it beside smoked chicken, grilled steaks, or soup. Makes 6 servings for a smaller cookout side.
Get the Recipe: Pesto Orzo Salad
Pizza Pasta Salad
Pepperoni, pepper Jack cheese, bell pepper, red onion, grape tomatoes, parsley, Italian seasoning, and fusilli turn Pizza Pasta Salad into a 20-minute cold bowl with pizza-shop energy. Italian dressing coats everything before the salad chills for at least 1 hour, giving the pasta time to pick up the seasoning. Serve it with grilled chicken, fish, garlic bread, or a green salad. Makes 8 servings for potlucks and outdoor BBQs.
Get the Recipe: Pizza Pasta Salad
Rotisserie Chicken Pasta Salad
Diced rotisserie chicken, bowtie pasta, roasted red peppers, red onion, basil, parsley, garlic, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, and optional sugar make Rotisserie Chicken Pasta Salad a 30-minute way to stretch cooked chicken. The dressing skips mayo and goes on about 30 minutes before serving. Serve it as a hearty side or main lunch bowl. Makes 6 servings, and leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Get the Recipe: Rotisserie Chicken Pasta Salad