Pasta salad is perfect for picnics, potlucks, and parties. It also makes a tasty entrée or side for lunch or dinner, and it’s pretty simple to put together. For those reasons and more, pasta salad recipes are a staple at my house and abundant here on Inspired by Charm.
In today’s post, I’ve rounded up My Best Pasta Salad Recipes. I hope it’s handy for you to have all of these recipes in one place. If you’re like me, when you get to the end of this piece, you’ll be asking yourself, “Which one should I fix today?”
My Best Pasta Salad Recipes:
Pine Nut and Arugula Pesto Pasta Salad
This pasta salad recipe contains four things I love: pine nuts, arugula, feta, and pasta. The delightful flavor combination is sure to impress even the most discerning palates. And besides all that deliciousness, there’s no chopping involved!
Really Good Macaroni Salad (Mayo-based)
Knowing that some folks have strong feelings about macaroni salad, it took me a while to muster the courage to share my favorite. This version uses mayonnaise and a lot of other ingredients that guarantee it’s “really good.” (This salad is also part of my “really good” recipe collection on IBC. So is the Really Good Pasta Salad recipe that’s linked later in this post.)
Macaroni Salad (Miracle Whip-based)
The inspiration for this recipe came from the salad my dad fixes for our family’s annual Fourth of July celebration. As with his pasta salad, mine has the familiar zip and tang of Miracle Whip. But being who I am, I’m compelled to take things up a notch with the addition of red pepper, celery, dill relish, and a few seasonings.
Broccoli and Chicken Pasta Salad
I recently made this salad for the first time, and I couldn’t be more pleased with it. It’s a mashup of classic broccoli salad and chicken pasta salad. If you enjoy either salad or both of them, this is the entrée you’ll want to whip up for that next special luncheon or supper.
In this fun twist on the classic, wagon wheel pasta is mixed with corn, beans, roasted red peppers, jalapeños, and ranch dressing. The touch of heat and Southwestern-inspired ingredients add up to a pasta salad recipe that’s the ideal side for any time you want to kick up your heals.
Take your pasta salad game to the next level with this Tortellini Pasta Salad. Just combine cheese tortellini, pepperoni, cheese, mixed veggies, and pine nuts and toss all of that with a bold red wine vinaigrette. A new go-to for lunch? Dinner? Get-togethers? Yes, all of the above!
More Delicious Pasta Salad Recipes:
The star of this dish is the flavor-burst from the sun-dried tomatoes. But the supporting players-garbanzo beans, artichoke hearts, arugula, and feta cheese-are equally noteworthy. Your friends and family will applaud your decision to make this pasta salad recipe.
Pasta Salad with Roasted Mushrooms
For this pasta salad recipe, you first roast tomatoes and any kind of mushrooms you like. (Your kitchen will smell heavenly.) Once cooled, they are mixed with the pasta of your choice, cannellini beans, Parmesan cheese, and an oil and vinegar dressing that has a hint of sweetness. What an easy and delicious salad!
Anyone who’s a fan of the ever-popular bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich will adore this pasta salad recipe. Just as you’d expect, the dressing is mayonnaise-based. Plus, it doesn’t take long to mix up a bowl of this salad for a light summer supper or last-minute cookout with loved ones.
I promise you this pasta salad recipe lives up to its name. Besides corkscrew pasta and olive-oil-based Italian dressing, it has pepperoni, salami, sharp cheddar, banana peppers, green peppers, broccoli, grape tomatoes, and olives. It can’t get much better than that!
Although this pasta salad recipe is resplendent with the colors of fall, the flavors are wonderful year-round. Roasted sweet potatoes, broccoli, red onions, dried cranberries, multi-colored pasta, and more are mixed with poppyseed dressing. My guess is you’ll be making this every chance you get.
This pasta salad is loaded with veggies-zucchini, yellow squash, onion, green and red peppers, and eggplant-that you roast on the grill or in the oven. All that goodness is combined with whole wheat pasta, tomatoes, julienned basil, and a bit of pesto. Yum!
I love Cobb salad and probably enjoy it, even more, when it’s combined with pasta. The Golden State reference in the recipe name is a nod to the chopped avocado that you add right before serving. The simple olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing make this salad light and bright for a mid-day or evening repast, whether you live on the West Coast or in a cooler clime like PA.
Which of these pasta salads do you like best? For me, it’s hard to pick just one. As regular readers of IBC know, my faves are always changing as I continue to create new recipes!
Even More Delicious Recipe Collections:
- Star-Spangled 4th of July Dessert Ideas
- 11+ Fabulous Sangria Recipes
- A Collection of Delicious and Easy Dip Recipes
- 8+ Go-To Hors D’Oeuvres Ideas
Looking for More from Inspired by Charm?
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we made the arugula pesto salad the other night and COULD NOT STOP eating it! i switched the feta for fontina, but man … what a good salad! even my picky 14-year-old who doesn’t like salad loved this. can’t wait to try your other pasta salad recipes … thanks for this one!
Hello Michael, Which one should I fix today?! That was a rhetorical question though! Okay so I have cranked up a list. Really good macaroni salad goes number 1, for its sheer presence! Followed by Pasta salad with roasted mushrooms, for the simplicity in cooking plus the mushrooms that I love. Third would be Really good pasta salad, with all my favourite ingredients. “Inspired by charm” indeed!
Excellent selections! All are winners! 🙂
xo Michael
Wow! I continue to be impressed and amazed. Looking forward to buying your cookbook someday!
Thanks for this ideas. I will make this. Sounds very tasty.
Michael,
I wanted to thank you for this recipe. I made it and it was a hit!
Also, I want to thank you for your music playlists. I just found them on spotify, and have enjoyed listening.
Thank you for putting the time into the playlists for our enjoyment.
All of these look delicious! I cannot wait to try them out. I really enjoy your blog and look forward to all of your posts. You have such an eye for design. You are inspiring. Keep up the good work! 🙂
Michael, thanks for nudging even us adventurous cooks to expand our joy in the kitchen. Your recipes stand out and can be trusted to please. Please don’t give in to complacency or boredom in doing what you do, Even the cheerleader needs a cheerleader sometimes. So grateful you share the journey even when life feels challenging. Sending love your way..