Pasta salad is supposed to be the easy side, but the good ones are the first bowls people go back to. These 9 recipes cover creamy, meaty, seafood, veggie-packed, and deli-style versions, so the table gets more than one cold pasta option that actually feels planned. You’ll find salads built for cookouts, potlucks, packed lunches, and warm-weather dinners when the main dish needs something sturdy beside it.
Pizza Pasta Salad
Loaded with pepperoni, pepper Jack cheese, grape tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion, and Italian dressing, Pizza Pasta Salad turns pizza toppings into a cold pasta salad in 20 minutes. Serve it at potlucks, BBQs, parties, or with grilled chicken, fish, garlic bread, or focaccia. Makes 8 servings. The pasta needs at least an hour in the fridge before serving, which helps the dressing and seasoning settle into the bowl.
Get the Recipe: Pizza Pasta Salad
Deviled Egg Pasta Salad
Mixed with hard-boiled eggs, elbow macaroni, mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, Dijon mustard, celery, red onion, and red bell pepper, Deviled Egg Pasta Salad brings the flavor of deviled eggs into a chilled side in 20 minutes. It makes 8 servings and works with grilled meats, burgers, fried chicken, or sandwiches. Finish it with smoked paprika and chopped chives before serving, then keep leftovers chilled for up to 3 days.
Get the Recipe: Deviled Egg Pasta Salad
Picnic Bacon Pasta Salad
Built for a cold picnic-style bowl, Picnic Bacon Pasta Salad keeps bacon at the center while pasta gives it enough weight for a potluck table or backyard spread. Use it when you want something more filling than a plain green salad, especially beside burgers, grilled chicken, or sandwiches. I could not verify the live recipe card for exact time, servings, or full ingredient list because the URL returned a fetch error during checking.
Get the Recipe: Picnic Bacon Pasta Salad
Steak & Pasta Salad
Packed with cooked steak, baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, radishes, corn, blue cheese, red onion, and buttermilk ranch dressing, Steak & Pasta Salad turns leftover steak into a chilled 25-minute bowl. It makes 8 servings and works as either a main dish or a side. Chill it for 20 minutes before serving, then keep extra dressing aside so leftovers do not dry out in the fridge.
Get the Recipe: Steak & Pasta Salad
BLT Pasta Salad – With Bacon!
Tossed with bacon, grape tomatoes, romaine lettuce, red onion, parsley, and a creamy mayo-sour cream dressing, BLT Pasta Salad – With Bacon! turns the sandwich combo into an 8-serving chilled pasta salad in 25 minutes. Let it sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving. It works for BBQs, potlucks, or lunch, but add the lettuce right before serving if you need it to stay crisp.
Get the Recipe: BLT Pasta Salad – With Bacon!
Salmon Pasta Salad
Made with orecchiette, cooked salmon, grated cucumber, sour cream, mayonnaise, dill, parsley, and lemon juice, Salmon Pasta Salad is a creamy 10-serving pasta salad that works well with leftover baked, grilled, or pan-fried salmon. The cucumber is salted and drained first so the dressing stays thick. Serve it on its own for lunch, pack it for the office, or place it beside grilled steak or smoked pork.
Get the Recipe: Salmon Pasta Salad
Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Shrimp
Filled with orzo, shrimp, feta, grape tomatoes, chickpeas, red bell pepper, cucumber, sundried tomatoes, red onion, lemon juice, olive oil, dill, and parsley, Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Shrimp comes together in 35 minutes. It makes 8 servings and can stand as lunch, a side salad, or a light dinner. Refrigerate it for at least an hour before serving so the dressing has time to coat the orzo and vegetables.
Get the Recipe: Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Shrimp
Summer Bow Tie Pasta Salad
Tossed with farfalle, grape tomatoes, orange bell pepper, zucchini, yellow summer squash, black olives, parsley, red onion, and a red wine vinegar dressing, Summer Bow Tie Pasta Salad is a bright 33-minute side for cookouts and potlucks. It makes 8 servings and stores in the fridge for up to 4 days. Serve it with grilled chicken thighs, shrimp skewers, burgers, barbecue, watermelon, or lemonade.
Get the Recipe: Summer Bow Tie Pasta Salad
Rotisserie Chicken Pasta Salad
Using bowtie pasta, diced rotisserie chicken, roasted red peppers, red onion, basil, parsley, garlic, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and white wine vinegar, Rotisserie Chicken Pasta Salad turns cooked chicken into a 30-minute pasta salad. It makes 6 servings and works as a main dish or side. Toss the dressing in about 30 minutes before serving, then refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days if the chicken is still fresh.
Get the Recipe: Rotisserie Chicken Pasta Salad