Cold Pasta Salad Recipes

Cold pasta salads are perfect for picnics, potlucks, and parties. Quite fast and easy to put together, summer pasta salads can also be served as a tasty entrée or side for lunch or dinner. They’re packed with a colorful mix of veggies, homemade dressings and cold pastas. Definitely one of my favorite choices, along with Easy Chicken Pinwheels for any lunch options

Cold pasta recipes are always a big hit! So easy to make, cold pasta dishes travel well and usually don’t require constant chilling, so most of them will sit out on a buffet table without a problem.

In today’s post, I have rounded up some of the Best Cold Pasta Salad Recipes. These recipes are all from top food bloggers and I have personally tried some of the recipes in the list.

From cold pasta salads like best BLT Pasta Salad and Italian Pasta Salad, to creamy pasta salads such as Creamy Summer Pasta Salad, Creamy Ranch BLT Pasta Salad and Creamy Macaroni Pasta Salad, there’s something that will please everyone in this mix. There are also plenty of Italian pasta salad recipes and seafood pasta salads with tuna.

I hope it will be handy for you to have all these recipes in one place, you can never have enough ideas to come up with the perfect easy pasta salad recipe. All you have to do is decide “Which one should I give a go today?”

Yes, you can. For most of the recipes included (unless mentioned otherwise) the flavor is going to be way better if the ingredients have a little bit of time to combine. You can definitely make the salad the night before or the morning on the day you plan to serve it. Perfect way to save some time if you’re planning to make it for parties or gatherings.

Quick and Easy Pasta Salad

This easy pasta salad is flexible based on the ingredients you have in your kitchen or the season. Start with a hearty pasta shape that has nooks and crannies to hold onto the dressing like rotini or penne. Then toss with our simple dressing and lots of colorful vegetables. We also love adding parmesan cheese, which melts into the dressing as well as a handful of fresh mozzarella balls. For more suggestions for what to add, read through our recommendations in the article above.

Prep: 10min

Total: 20min

Yield: Makes about 10 servings

Serving Size: 1/10 of the salad

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1/10 of the salad, calories 363, Fat 19.1g, Saturated Fat 5.1g, Cholesterol 18.3mg, Sodium 507.1mg, Carbohydrate 36.6g, Fiber 2.3g, Sugar 2g, Protein 11.7g

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dried pasta like fusilli, penne, rotini or farfalle (bow tie)
• 1 cup sliced bell pepper (1 medium)
• 1 cup thinly sliced zucchini (1/2 medium)
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions (5 to 6)
• 1/4 cup sliced pepperoncini or banana peppers, optional
• 1 cup (4 ounces) halved mixed olives
• 1 cup (2 ounces) grated parmesan cheese or hard cheese
• 1 cup (6 ounces) fresh mozzarella balls, chopped
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley or basil, optional
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 to 3 tablespoons juice from pepperoncini jar, optional
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instruction:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until tender, 6 to 10 minutes (check the package for recommended cook time). Drain and rinse well under cold water.
2. While the pasta cooks, in the bottom of a large bowl, make the dressing. Whisk the red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, oregano, pepperoncini juice (if using), and the olive oil until blended. Add the drained and rinsed pasta to the dressing and mix well.
3. Stir in the bell pepper, zucchini, tomatoes, scallions, pepperoncini (if using), olives, parmesan, mozzarella, and the herbs (if using). Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as needed. Serve or for the best results, cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 5 days.

15 Cold Pasta Salad Recipes

This pasta salad recipe is bursting with flavor! It’s easy to mix up with veggies, herbs, and a tangy Italian dressing.

Prep: 20min

Total: 30min

Yield: 10

Ingredients:

• 1 pound fusilli spiral pasta (or any short-cut pasta like penne, bowties, etc)
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 red onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs (basil and parsley or dill)
• 3/4 cup black or green olives, sliced
• 3/4 cup sliced pepperoncini or banana peppers
• 6 ounces small mozzarella cheese balls (Ciliegine)
• 3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon each dried dill, oregano, and garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup neutral oil (like organic vegetable or grapeseed***)
• Fresh ground black pepper

Instruction:

1. Start a large pot of well-salted water to boil. Boil the pasta until al dente according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta and run cool water over it until it’s room temperature.
2. Meanwhile, slice the tomatoes, dice the bell pepper and slice the red onion. Chop the fresh herbs.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar, dried dill, oregano, garlic powder, kosher salt, and plenty of fresh ground black pepper. Then whisk in the olive oil and neutral oil.
4. Once the pasta is done, add it to the large bowl of dressing and toss with the chopped vegetables. Add the olives, pepperoncini, mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt to taste. Serve at room temperature or cold. Stores up to 5 days refrigerated (leftovers taste great; allow to come to room temperature and add a swirl more olive oil or a bit more cheese or salt as necessary).

Classic Pasta Salad

Classic pasta salad is made with a tri-color rotini, filled with vegetables and cheeses, and coated in a homemade vinaigrette. The perfect recipe to feed a crowd!

Prep: 25min

Total: 25min

Yield: 24

Serving Size: 0.75 cup

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 0.75 cup, calories 283 kcal, Carbohydrate 24 g, Protein 13 g, Fat 14 g, Saturated Fat 5 g, Cholesterol 32 mg, Sodium 732 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 1 g

Ingredients:

• 24 ounces tri-color rotini pasta (uncooked)
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes (halved)
• 12 ounces sliced pepperoni
• 1 red onion (diced)
• 1 green bell pepper (diced)
• 16 ounces mozzarella cheese (cubed)
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 8 ounces olives (sliced)
• 1 1/2 cups olive oil
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instruction:

1. In salted boiling water, cook pasta according to package directions for al dente pasta. Drain and rinse with cold water until pasta is room temperature. Place pasta in a large bowl.
2. Add cherry tomatoes, pepperoni, onion, bell pepper, mozzarella, parmesan, and olives to the bowl. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, add olive oil, vinegar, italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Whisk to combine.
4. Pour vinaigrette over pasta salad, then toss to coat. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.
5. If your pasta salad has been chilling for several hours/overnight and very cold, allow it to warm up slightly at room temperature for 20-30 minutes, then give it a toss to redistribute the dressing just before serving.

Creamy Summer Pasta Salad

This is a fresh, slightly tangy pasta salad with an abundance of flavors and textures. We make it on repeat all summer long.

Prep: 10min

Total: 20min

Yield: 6

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 297 kcal, Carbohydrate 31 g, Protein 5 g, Fat 16 g, Saturated Fat 2 g, Cholesterol 7 mg, Sodium 496 mg, Fiber 2 g, Sugar 2 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces salad macaroni or ditalini pasta
• 1 cup tiny broccoli florets
• ½ cup diced cucumber
• ½ cup finely diced red pepper
• ½ cup sliced black olives
• ¼ cup very thinly sliced green onion
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons white wine or plain vinegar
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt (adjust to taste)
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon sugar

Instruction:

1. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package, adding a generous tablespoon or so of kosher salt to the water as it cooks. Just before the noodles are done cooking, add the broccoli to the pot. Let the broccoli boil for about 30 seconds and then drain everything into a large colander. Rinse well with cold water.
2. Stir together the mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, pepper, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the cooked pasta and broccoli to the bowl and stir well to coat.
3. Add the cucumber, pepper, olives, and onions and stir again. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Stir again just before serving.

PASTA SALAD 3 WAYS (Literally The Best Pasta Salads I’ve Ever Had)

FAQ

What are the five mistakes to avoid pasta salad?

1. Not using the right size and shape of pasta. …
2. Overcooking or undercooking the pasta. …
3. Not seasoning the pasta enough. …
4. Not dressing the pasta salad while it’s still warm. …
5. Making your pasta salad too far in advance.

Is it better to make pasta salad the day before?

How do you chill pasta for pasta salad?

How long does cold pasta salad last in the fridge?