A veggie tray usually starts losing ground once a bowl of pasta salad lands beside it. Across years of developing pasta salads and carrying them to cookouts, lunches, and potlucks, these 11 stood out for the way people returned for another scoop and sent the serving bowl back nearly scraped clean. There are creamy versions with bacon, eggs, chicken, salmon, and steak, plus bright vinaigrette and pesto options packed with tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and herbs. The range covers hearty mains and reliable sides that make a plain tray of cut vegetables easy to forget.
Steak & Pasta Salad
Built around leftover grilled steak, Steak & Pasta Salad pairs farfalle with baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, corn, radishes, blue cheese, and candied walnuts in 25 minutes. A buttermilk ranch dressing made with mayonnaise, Dijon, lemon, garlic, and fresh herbs pulls the bowl together. Eight servings give a cookout table a substantial side that can also pass as lunch. Chill it for 20 minutes, then set it out as a main dish or a side.
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Pizza Pasta Salad
Packed with familiar pizza toppings, Pizza Pasta Salad combines fusilli, pepperoni, pepper Jack, grape tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion, and Italian dressing in 20 minutes. The pasta is rinsed cold before everything is tossed and chilled, so the dressing settles into the twists instead of pooling below. It makes 8 servings and brings meat, cheese, and vegetables to one scoop. Bring it to a barbecue, or tuck leftovers into lunch.
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Salmon Pasta Salad
Cool and creamy, Salmon Pasta Salad mixes orecchiette with 8 ounces of cooked salmon, grated cucumber, sour cream, mayonnaise, dill, parsley, and lemon juice. With 5 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking, the recipe makes 10 servings. Salmon gives the salad enough substance to move beyond side-dish territory. Spoon it into lunch bowls or place it beside grilled food.
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Italian Pasta Salad
Bright vegetables fill Italian Pasta Salad, where fusilli meets cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, black olives, mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil. A scratch vinaigrette of olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon, garlic, oregano, and Dijon keeps the salad free of mayonnaise. Including an hour of chilling, the recipe takes 1 hour 32 minutes and serves 8. Save part of the dressing for the final toss so the bowl stays glossy at the table.
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Deviled Egg Pasta Salad
Borrowing the creamy filling from a familiar picnic dish, Deviled Egg Pasta Salad folds elbow macaroni with six hard-boiled eggs, mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, Dijon, celery, red onion, and red bell pepper. It takes 20 minutes and yields 8 servings. Smoked paprika and chopped chives finish the top, while celery and bell pepper break up the creamy texture. Keep it cold and give it a stir before setting it out.
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Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Shrimp
Fresh crunch runs through Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Shrimp, a 35-minute mix of orzo, shrimp, feta, chickpeas, grape tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, and red onion. Lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, dill, parsley, and honey form the dressing. The recipe serves 8 and can work as lunch, dinner, or a side. Bring it out when the table needs color and enough protein to handle a meal on its own.
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Rotisserie Chicken Pasta Salad
Using two cups of already-cooked chicken, Rotisserie Chicken Pasta Salad combines bow-tie pasta, roasted red peppers, red onion, basil, parsley, and garlic in 30 minutes. Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and white wine vinegar make the creamy dressing without relying only on mayonnaise. Six servings can cover lunch or hold their own beside grilled food. Choose it for picnics or cookouts where one bowl needs to do more than sit beside the mains.
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BLT Pasta Salad – With Bacon!
Smoky bacon and crisp romaine give BLT Pasta Salad – With Bacon! the same contrast as the sandwich, with grape tomatoes, red onion, parsley, and pasta filling out the bowl. Its dressing blends mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon, lemon juice, and garlic powder. The recipe takes 25 minutes and makes 8 servings, with bacon, lettuce, and tomatoes in every scoop. Add the lettuce near serving time to keep its crunch.
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Picnic Bacon Pasta Salad
Meant for a fuller picnic spread, Picnic Bacon Pasta Salad tosses a pound of farfalle with grape tomatoes, green bell pepper, cheddar, bacon, and green onions. The creamy dressing uses mayonnaise, sour cream, cider vinegar, bacon fat, smoked paprika, parsley, and dill. It takes 50 minutes and makes 6 hearty servings. Set this one near the grilled mains and expect the serving spoon to stay busy.
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Pesto Orzo Salad
Coated in basil pesto, Pesto Orzo Salad brings orzo together with Parmesan, mayonnaise, mozzarella pearls, grape tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, green onions, lemon juice, and toasted pine nuts. The 20-minute recipe serves 6, followed by about 30 minutes of chilling before it reaches the table. Creamy dressing and two kinds of tomatoes keep each spoonful varied. Finish with fresh basil and pine nuts just before serving.
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Summer Bow Tie Pasta Salad
Color comes first in Summer Bow Tie Pasta Salad, which loads farfalle with grape tomatoes, orange bell pepper, zucchini, yellow squash, black olives, red onion, and parsley. Olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon, honey, garlic, and Italian seasoning make the vinaigrette. The recipe takes 33 minutes and serves 8, with enough vegetables to work as a side or a light lunch. Hold back some dressing and add it before the bowl goes outside.
Get the Recipe: Summer Bow Tie Pasta Salad