I absolutely love pasta salad, whether as the center of a meal, a picnic side, or just a way to use up leftover pasta. And the best thing is that there are so many variations, depending on your tastes or what you just have lying around the house.
Here are 22 ways you can step up your pasta salad game.
Italian Pasta Salad
This Italian pasta salad is a classic template: cold veggies, cheese, and vinaigrette. I also like throwing a few cold cuts in the mix.
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Italian Pasta Salad
Use short rotini with crisp celery, red pepper and little provolone cubes so the vegetables stay as noticeable as the pasta. Keep those cubes small. The red-wine vinaigrette needs a little mustard to keep it together. Toss some through the warm noodles first, then save the rest for the vegetables and cheese after the pasta cools. That two-stage dressing gives the spirals flavor without asking you to pour a fresh layer of oil over a dry bowl at serving time.
Ingredients
Method
- Boil rotini in water with the tablespoon salt until fully tender, about 10 to 12 minutes or according to the package. Drain thoroughly.
- Whisk oil, vinegar, Dijon, oregano, dressing salt and pepper. Toss warm pasta with half the dressing and spread in a shallow dish for 10 minutes to stop steaming.
- Transfer pasta to a large bowl and fold in bell pepper, celery, tomatoes, red onion and provolone with the remaining dressing.
- Toss again and serve at cool room temperature, or cover and refrigerate promptly for at least 30 minutes for a colder salad.
- Stir gently before serving and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Tortellini Pasta Salad
Tired of tortellini soup? A tortellini salad with parsley and chilled asparagus is a whole new take on one of the world's best filled pastas.
Tortellini Pasta Salad
Cheese tortellini already carries a rich filling, so lemon dressing and lightly cooked asparagus keep this bowl bright without another creamy layer. Stop the asparagus while it is still green and a little firm. The tortellini should be tender but intact, with its folded edges holding the filling as you toss. Let both drain well before adding the dressing, because water trapped in the pasta folds can thin the lemon flavor surprisingly quickly.
Ingredients
Method
- Bring a large pot of water with the tablespoon salt to a boil. Cook tortellini according to its package until tender, adding asparagus during the last 2 minutes.
- Drain gently, rinse briefly under cool water and leave in the colander for 5 minutes to remove water held in the pasta folds.
- Whisk oil, lemon juice, zest, Dijon, dressing salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add tortellini, asparagus, thawed peas and parsley.
- Fold gently with a wide spoon until coated, keeping the tortellini intact. Serve cool or cover and refrigerate promptly for 30 minutes.
- Toss lightly before serving and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
For all you pickle people, this is the pasta salad for you. Dill pickles are at the core of this dish, with pickle brine to boot, and feel free to play with different types of pickle here to taste.
Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
Pickle brine seasons the pasta before the creamy dressing goes on, which gives this salad more dill flavor than simply adding extra chopped pickles at the end. Drain the pickle pieces well. Their brine is already measured into the dressing, and an extra puddle would make the coating thin. Small cheddar cubes soften the sharpness without taking over, while fresh dill goes through the whole bowl so each scoop tastes unmistakably like a pickle salad.
Ingredients
Method
- Boil shells in water with the tablespoon salt until fully tender. Drain, rinse briefly under cool water and drain thoroughly.
- Toss pasta with 2 tablespoons pickle brine and let stand for 5 minutes. Mix remaining brine with mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon, garlic powder and pepper.
- Fold creamy dressing through the shells with drained pickles, cheddar, red onion and dill.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes so the pasta chills and the flavors settle; the listed prep time includes this chilling.
- Stir before serving and keep refrigerated until needed; refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Tuna Pasta Salad
Tuna salad and pasta salad are kindred spirits, and this recipe brings them together. Make sure to keep the tuna in visible flakes, and the better the quality of the tuna, the better the salad.
Tuna Pasta Salad
Flake the tuna into generous pieces after it drains so it remains visible among the macaroni, instead of stirring it until the whole bowl becomes a paste. Peas and celery give the soft pasta some texture, with lemon and a little mustard keeping the mayonnaise dressing sharp enough for a cold lunch; fold with a wide spoon and stop once everything is coated so the tuna doesn't disappear before the salad reaches the table.
Ingredients
Method
- Boil macaroni in water with the tablespoon salt until fully tender, adding peas for the last minute. Drain, rinse briefly under cool water and drain thoroughly.
- Whisk mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice, Dijon, dressing salt and pepper in a large bowl.
- Add macaroni, peas, celery and red onion and toss until coated. Flake drained tuna into bite-size pieces and fold it in gently.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving cold; the listed prep time includes this chilling.
- Stir gently once more before portioning and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Pesto Pasta Salad
Pesto is one of the few foods that's equally good at all temperatures. Walnuts, pine nuts, and pistachios all work great here, but please, I beg you… Don't use the stuff that comes in a jar.
Pesto Pasta Salad
Roasted tomatoes give this pesto pasta salad soft, concentrated pockets of flavor without leaving raw tomato juice at the bottom of the bowl. Make the pesto while the tomatoes roast. Basil, walnuts, Parmesan and olive oil form a thick green dressing that needs a little pasta water to spread around the twists. Keep that coating loose. Fold in the cooled tomatoes last so they keep some shape, and keep the finished salad covered in the refrigerator to protect the basil's color.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 425°F. Toss tomatoes with their oil and salt and roast cut-side up on a rimmed pan for 20 to 25 minutes until softened with browned edges. Cool for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, boil fusilli in water with the tablespoon salt until fully tender. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, drain and spread the noodles in a shallow dish for 10 minutes.
- Pulse basil, walnuts, Parmesan, garlic, pesto oil, lemon juice, pesto salt and pepper in a food processor until finely chopped. Blend in 2 tablespoons reserved pasta water to make a spreadable pesto.
- Toss pasta with pesto, adding more reserved water by the tablespoon only if needed to spread the coating. Fold in cooled roasted tomatoes gently.
- Serve cool, or cover and refrigerate promptly for 30 minutes. Stir once before serving and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Greek Pasta Salad
Living in a hot climate, I eat a lot of Greek salad to stay cool. Farfalle are a natural addition, and I personally would choose a creamier rather than a crumblier feta.
Greek Pasta Salad
Chickpeas make this Greek pasta salad substantial without adding chicken, while cucumber, feta and olives keep the familiar salty-crisp balance. Cut the cucumber into small pieces that fit with the farfalle. Big chunks leave the pasta carrying most of the dressing and make each forkful uneven. A red-wine and oregano dressing works through the chickpeas first, then the feta goes in gently at the end so some crumbles stay intact around the bow ties.
Ingredients
Method
- Boil farfalle in water with the tablespoon salt until fully tender. Drain, rinse briefly under cool water and drain thoroughly.
- Whisk oil, vinegar, oregano, Dijon, dressing salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add chickpeas and stir to coat.
- Fold in pasta, cucumber, tomatoes, olives and red onion. Add feta last and toss gently so the crumbles stay partly intact.
- Serve cool, or cover and refrigerate promptly for at least 30 minutes.
- Stir before serving and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
If you make it from scratch, ranch dressing can actually be pretty tasty, and orecchiette add some real class. Since we're serving it cold, make sure the bacon is as crisp as it can get.
Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
Small broccoli florets give this bacon ranch salad a crunchy vegetable base, with orecchiette catching the yogurt-rich dressing in their little cups. Blanch the broccoli only briefly. It should be bright green and still firm, not soft enough to crumble as you mix. Save half the bacon for the last toss so some pieces keep their crisp edges, and let the dill, chives and garlic season the dressing before it meets the pasta.
Ingredients
Method
- Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes until crisp, then drain on paper towels.
- Boil orecchiette in water with the tablespoon salt until fully tender, adding broccoli for the last minute. Drain, rinse under cool water and drain thoroughly.
- Mix yogurt, mayonnaise, buttermilk, lemon juice, chives, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, dressing salt and pepper.
- Fold dressing through pasta and broccoli with half the bacon. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes; the listed prep time includes this chilling.
- Add remaining bacon just before serving and stir gently. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Caprese Pasta Salad
In anything Caprese, simplicity is key. Pasta of your choice, cherry tomatoes, basil, fresh mozzarella, and a simple dressing — resist the urge to add more.
Caprese Pasta Salad
Tomatoes, mozzarella and basil need very little help, so keep this Caprese pasta salad focused on those three ingredients and a restrained balsamic dressing. Drain the mozzarella well before it goes into the bowl. Its packing liquid would dilute the dressing and leave the small shells sliding through milky water. Tear the basil just before the final toss so it stays in recognizable pieces, and serve while the tomatoes still have a fresh, firm bite.
Ingredients
Method
- Boil shells in water with the tablespoon salt until fully tender. Drain and rinse briefly under cool water, then drain thoroughly.
- Whisk oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon, dressing salt and pepper in a large bowl.
- Add pasta, tomatoes and well-drained mozzarella and fold gently until coated.
- Tear basil into the bowl just before serving and toss once more. Serve cool, or refrigerate the salad without basil for up to 24 hours and add basil when ready to eat.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Caesar dressing is a natural fit for pasta salad, and there's some leeway here. As for me, I like to add more anchovies, and if you're using croutons, they're a snap to make at home, infinitely better than the supermarket salad bar version.
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Cook thin chicken cutlets before mixing the salad, then let them cool enough that they won't wilt the romaine on contact. The Caesar dressing uses mayonnaise, Parmesan and anchovy paste for a thick coating without raw egg. Keep the lettuce and croutons separate until the last toss. Pasta can sit dressed in the refrigerator, but a long wait turns the crunchy parts of a Caesar into soft scraps that disappear beneath the chicken.
Ingredients
Method
- Season chicken with its salt and pepper. Heat oil in a skillet and cook cutlets for 4 to 5 minutes per side until at least 165°F, then rest for 5 minutes and cut into bite-size pieces.
- Meanwhile, boil penne in water with the tablespoon salt until fully tender. Drain, rinse under cool water and drain thoroughly. Spread chicken in a shallow dish to stop steaming.
- Whisk mayonnaise, Parmesan, lemon juice, Dijon, anchovy paste, garlic and water until smooth. Toss pasta and cooled chicken with the dressing.
- Fold in dry romaine and croutons just before serving. To make ahead, refrigerate the dressed pasta and chicken promptly and keep lettuce and croutons separate until the final toss.
- Serve cool and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Taco Pasta Salad
This salad features ground beef, so when you put hot ingredients in a pasta salad, be careful. Cool it down so it doesn't wilt the lettuce, and you should be golden.
Taco Pasta Salad
Seasoned ground beef and a thick salsa-sour-cream dressing make this a cold taco bowl with pasta in place of a shell. Cool the beef before it meets the dressing. Warm fat can loosen the sour cream and make the lettuce collapse before serving. A shallow dish helps the meat lose its heat promptly. Fold in the romaine at the last minute and keep the cheddar in small cubes so it stays distinct among the elbows.
Ingredients
Method
- Brown beef in a skillet for 8 to 10 minutes, breaking it into small crumbles, until it reaches 160°F. Drain fat, stir in chili powder, cumin, beef salt, garlic powder and water and cook for 1 minute. Spread in a shallow dish and refrigerate promptly while preparing the rest.
- Boil macaroni in water with the tablespoon salt until fully tender. Drain, rinse under cool water and drain thoroughly.
- Mix sour cream, mayonnaise, salsa and lime juice in a large bowl. Add pasta, cooled beef, tomatoes and cheddar and fold until coated.
- Fold in romaine just before serving. If making ahead, refrigerate the dressed pasta mixture and keep the lettuce separate until needed.
- Serve cold or cool and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Macaroni Salad
I ate a lot of macaroni salad growing up in the Midwest, and sometimes I just want that nostalgic flavor. It's sweet, it's unctuous, and it takes me right down memory lane.
Macaroni Salad
Classic macaroni salad gets its balance from a little sweetness, a little mustard and vegetables cut small enough to travel with the elbows. Stir the vinegar into the drained pasta first. The creamy dressing follows after the noodles cool, so the flavor reaches the pasta instead of sitting only on its surface. Hard-cooked eggs make the bowl substantial, but fold them in last with a light hand so their yolks don't turn the whole dressing chalky.
Ingredients
Method
- Put eggs in a saucepan, cover with cold water by 1 inch and bring to a boil. Cover, remove from heat and let stand for 12 minutes, then cool in ice water, peel and chop.
- Meanwhile, boil macaroni in water with the tablespoon salt until fully tender. Drain, toss with vinegar and spread in a shallow dish for 10 minutes to stop steaming.
- Mix mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, sugar, dressing salt and pepper. Fold through cooled macaroni with celery, bell pepper and onion.
- Add chopped eggs gently, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes; the listed prep time includes this chilling.
- Stir lightly before serving cold and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
BLT Pasta Salad
The flavor profile of a BLT is a natural fit for salads when tomatoes are at their freshest. Texture can be a challenge, so make your bacon extra crispy and seed the tomatoes to prevent the dressing from becoming a mess.
BLT Pasta Salad
The bacon, lettuce and tomato all need to stay recognizable in a BLT pasta salad, so the dressing should coat lightly instead of hiding the ingredients. Seed firm tomatoes before dicing them. That keeps their loose juice out of the mayonnaise dressing, and the bacon stays crisper when half is held back for the last toss. Add the lettuce just before serving and use a wide bowl that gives you room to fold without crushing it.
Ingredients
Method
- Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes until crisp, then drain on paper towels.
- Boil farfalle in water with the tablespoon salt until fully tender. Drain, rinse briefly under cool water and drain thoroughly.
- Whisk mayonnaise, buttermilk, vinegar, Dijon, dressing salt and pepper. Toss pasta with dressing, seeded tomatoes and half the bacon.
- Fold in dry romaine and remaining bacon immediately before serving. For make-ahead, refrigerate the dressed pasta promptly and hold lettuce and reserved bacon separately.
- Serve cool and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Southwest Pasta Salad
This is great for a grill side, and the beans make it a complete meal if you're so inclined. The charred corn really is the metaphorical icing on the cake here.
Southwest Pasta Salad
Black beans, corn and lime dressing make this a meatless Southwest pasta salad with enough texture to sit beside grilled food without feeling like another heavy casserole. Char the corn in a dry skillet before cooling it. Those browned spots give the bowl more flavor than simply tipping thawed kernels into the pasta, and diced jalapeño adds a small fresh heat that the lime and olive oil can carry through the whole salad.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat a large dry skillet over medium-high heat and cook corn for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until some kernels develop browned spots. Transfer to a plate to cool.
- Boil rotini in water with the tablespoon salt until fully tender. Drain, rinse briefly under cool water and drain thoroughly.
- Whisk oil, lime juice, cumin, dressing salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add pasta, cooled corn, beans, bell pepper, jalapeño and red onion.
- Toss thoroughly, then fold in cilantro. Serve cool or cover and refrigerate promptly for at least 30 minutes.
- Stir before serving and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Antipasto Pasta Salad
You don't have to be a girl to love "girl dinner." Just grab a bag of antipasti on the fly from the supermarket. But all those artichokes and olives and cold cuts are even better when assembled into a pasta salad.
Antipasto Pasta Salad
Salami, ham, artichokes and fontina make antipasto pasta salad a full cold lunch rather than a lightly dressed vegetable side. Drain every jarred ingredient well, because the dressing already has measured vinegar and oil, and the vegetables don't need to bring their packing liquid along. Cut the meats into short strips that catch around the gemelli, then fold the cheese in after the pasta cools so it stays in cubes rather than softening into the dressing.
Ingredients
Method
- Boil gemelli in water with the tablespoon salt until fully tender. Drain, rinse briefly under cool water and drain thoroughly.
- Whisk oil, vinegar, Dijon, oregano and pepper in a large bowl.
- Add pasta, salami, ham, drained artichokes, pepperoncini and olives and toss to coat. Fold in fontina gently.
- Serve cool, or cover and refrigerate promptly for at least 30 minutes.
- Toss again before serving and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Mediterranean Orzo Pasta Salad
Orzo is a great base for pasta salad when you don't want too much dressing sticking to the pasta. They disappear into the background a bit here, letting those nice roasted vegetables shine.
Mediterranean Orzo Pasta Salad
Roasted zucchini and red pepper give orzo a soft vegetable base, with white beans adding body and lemon dressing keeping the small pasta from clumping. Spread the cooked orzo out briefly after draining. A dense mound holds steam and turns sticky while you finish the vegetables, but a shallow layer cools more evenly. Fold the roasted pieces through gently so their browned edges stay visible, then add parsley and feta after the heat has settled.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 425°F. Toss zucchini and bell pepper with roasting oil and vegetable salt and roast on a wide rimmed pan for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once, until tender with browned edges. Cool for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, boil orzo in water with the tablespoon salt until fully tender. Drain thoroughly and spread in a shallow dish for 10 minutes.
- Whisk dressing oil, lemon juice, zest, oregano, dressing salt and pepper. Toss half through the warm orzo.
- Fold cooled roasted vegetables, beans, parsley and feta into the pasta with remaining dressing. Serve cool or refrigerate promptly in a covered container.
- Stir before serving and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Cowboy Pasta Salad
Think of this as a pasta salad with a chili twist. As with all pasta salads involving cheese, make sure the ingredients are plenty cooled down so you don't get giant lumps of melted and congealed cheddar.
Cowboy Pasta Salad
Browned beef, kidney beans and barbecue dressing make cowboy pasta salad a hearty bowl with a smoky-sweet edge. Use a modest amount of barbecue sauce, which should season the mayonnaise dressing without turning every ingredient sticky, and the drained beans need to stay intact as you fold. Crisp bacon goes in near serving time, while the beef cools separately so its warmth doesn't loosen the dressing or melt the cheddar cubes into the pasta.
Ingredients
Method
- Cook bacon in a skillet for 8 to 10 minutes until crisp and drain. Pour off the fat and brown beef in the skillet for 8 to 10 minutes until it reaches 160°F, then season with salt and pepper and drain. Spread beef in a shallow dish and refrigerate promptly to cool.
- Meanwhile, boil pasta shells in water with the tablespoon salt until fully tender. Drain, rinse briefly under cool water and drain thoroughly.
- Mix mayonnaise, barbecue sauce and vinegar. Fold through pasta with cooled beef, kidney beans, corn, cheddar and red onion.
- Add crisp bacon just before serving. Keep the dressed salad refrigerated until needed.
- Stir gently before portioning and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
This is one of those all-in-one pasta salads that combines a protein and a carb for a one-dish meal. Personally, I'd sub out the garlic and onion powder for fresh garlic and onion to add some much-needed freshness.
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
Roasted thigh pieces, corn and cheddar make this chicken bacon ranch salad a full meal, with a mayonnaise-and-buttermilk dressing that coats the casarecce without pooling. Roast the chicken with a little smoked paprika, then let it cool in a shallow dish before cutting; the short pasta twists hold the dressing around the meat, and the bacon goes in at the end so the finished bowl still has some crisp pieces among the softer ingredients.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 425°F. Rub chicken with oil, paprika and chicken salt and roast on a lined pan for 20 to 25 minutes until at least 165°F. Rest for 5 minutes, cut into bite-size pieces and spread in a shallow dish to stop steaming.
- Meanwhile, cook bacon in a skillet for 8 to 10 minutes until crisp and drain. Boil casarecce in water with the tablespoon salt until fully tender, then drain, rinse briefly under cool water and drain thoroughly.
- Whisk mayonnaise, buttermilk, lemon juice, chives, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, dressing salt and pepper.
- Fold dressing through pasta, cooled chicken, corn and cheddar. Add bacon just before serving, or refrigerate the dressed salad promptly and hold bacon separately until needed.
- Serve cool and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Shrimp Pasta Salad
Shrimp salad and pasta salad aren't too different, so combining the two makes sense. Don't be shy with the lemon juice and zest. The lemon is seafood's best friend.
Shrimp Pasta Salad
Poach the shrimp gently and cool them before folding them into the creamy lemon dressing, so their texture stays springy instead of tightening in a hot bowl. Small ditalini fits around the shrimp without making the salad difficult to scoop. Celery and radish bring crunch. Keep the yogurt and mayonnaise measured, because the shrimp should remain visible through a light coating, and let the salad chill long enough that the lemon flavor reaches the pasta.
Ingredients
Method
- Bring poaching water and its salt to a gentle simmer in a saucepan. Add shrimp and cook for 2 to 4 minutes until opaque and at least 145°F, then drain and cool briefly in ice water before draining very thoroughly.
- Boil ditalini in water with the tablespoon salt until fully tender. Drain, rinse under cool water and drain thoroughly.
- Whisk mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice, zest, dressing salt and pepper. Fold in pasta, shrimp, celery, radishes and chives.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes; the listed prep time includes this chilling.
- Stir gently before serving cold and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Pizza Pasta Salad
If you love cold pizza, this is the pasta salad for you. A tomato vinaigrette echoes the taste of pizza, but keeps things fresh.
Pizza Pasta Salad
A little tomato paste in the vinaigrette gives this cold pizza pasta salad a sauce-like flavor without a heavy coating of bottled dressing. Whisk it smooth before adding the oil. Pepperoni, mozzarella and green pepper carry the rest of the pizza association, while fusilli catches the red dressing in its spirals. Let the pasta cool before adding the cheese cubes, then toss once more just before serving so the tomato dressing reaches the bottom of the bowl.
Ingredients
Method
- Boil fusilli in water with the tablespoon salt until fully tender. Drain, rinse briefly under cool water and drain thoroughly.
- Whisk vinegar, tomato paste, oregano, garlic powder, dressing salt and pepper until smooth, then gradually whisk in olive oil.
- Fold pasta, quartered pepperoni, mozzarella, bell pepper, tomatoes and olives through the dressing.
- Serve cool, or cover and refrigerate promptly for at least 30 minutes.
- Toss thoroughly before serving and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Spinach Strawberry Pasta Salad
If you like fresh strawberries in your salad, this is one worth trying. Spinach gets soggy in salad fast, so it's best to mix it in at the very end.
Spinach Strawberry Pasta Salad
Dry the strawberries after washing and slice them close to serving time so they keep their shape beside the spinach and bow ties. Balsamic, honey and poppy seeds make a lightly sweet dressing that suits the fruit without turning the bowl into dessert. Add the spinach last. Its leaves soften quickly once dressed, while goat cheese and toasted almonds give enough richness and crunch that the salad doesn't need a thick creamy sauce.
Ingredients
Method
- Toast almonds in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until lightly golden, then transfer to a plate to cool.
- Boil farfalle in water with the tablespoon salt until fully tender. Drain, rinse briefly under cool water and drain thoroughly.
- Whisk oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon, poppy seeds, dressing salt and pepper. Toss half the dressing through the cooled pasta.
- Just before serving, fold in dry sliced strawberries, spinach, goat cheese, cooled almonds and remaining dressing. Keep these ingredients separate from the dressed pasta if preparing ahead.
- Serve promptly and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Creamy Cucumber Pasta Salad
Cucumber is a natural addition to pasta salad, but be sure to salt it. An unsalted cucumber has a way of turning a salad into a cold soup.
Creamy Cucumber Pasta Salad
Salt the cucumber and blot it dry before it meets the yogurt dressing, because fresh cucumber can release enough water to thin a carefully mixed bowl. Mint and lemon give this salad a cool, clean flavor without pickle brine or cheddar. Use small half-moons that sit easily beside the cavatappi. A short chill helps the dressing settle around the pasta, and a final gentle toss redistributes it without breaking the cucumber into watery scraps.
Ingredients
Method
- Toss cucumber with its salt and leave in a colander for 15 minutes, then blot thoroughly with paper towels.
- Meanwhile, boil cavatappi in water with the tablespoon salt until fully tender. Drain, rinse under cool water and drain thoroughly.
- Mix yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, zest, garlic powder, pepper, mint and red onion. Fold through pasta with the dry cucumber slices.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes; the listed prep time includes this chilling.
- Toss gently before serving cold and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Lemon Herb Pasta Salad
The star of the show in this pasta salad is the whole wheat pasta, which is nuttier and more substantial. The herbs simply serve to highlight it, so if you want a pasta dish first and foremost, give this a shot.
Lemon Herb Pasta Salad
Whole-wheat rotini gives lemon and fresh herbs a sturdy base, with short green-bean pieces and celery keeping the bowl crisp. Cook the beans just until their raw bite softens. They should stay bright green after cooling, and the herbs belong in the final toss so their flavor stays fresh. Lemon zest carries fragrance without making the dressing excessively sour, while a little Dijon helps the oil cling to the pasta instead of collecting underneath it.
Ingredients
Method
- Boil rotini in water with the tablespoon salt until fully tender, adding green beans for the last 3 minutes. Drain, rinse under cool water and drain thoroughly.
- Whisk oil, lemon juice, zest, Dijon, dressing salt and pepper in a large bowl.
- Add pasta, green beans and celery and toss to coat, then fold in parsley, chives and dill.
- Serve cool, or cover and refrigerate promptly for at least 30 minutes.
- Toss once more before serving and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
