One of these gorgeous pasta salad recipes is about to become your new go-to summer staple, whether you’re packing a picnic, planning a cookout spread, or aiming to make the most popular dish at the potluck!
No Mayo, No Problem!
When done badly, pasta salads are boring, heavy, or both. But loaded with colorful produce and dressed with a generous pour of extra virgin olive oil, a good pasta salad is one of the most versatile warm-weather dishes in my playbook!
Pasta salad recipes are perfect make-ahead meals, easy packable lunches, and almost always the first to go at a backyard barbecue. They’re inexpensive to make, and a bag of pasta is a perfect blank canvas for almost any kind of seasonal produce or protein that you happen to have in your fridge. Because these Mediterranean pasta salads are mayo-free, they are a better fit for serving at a picnic or potluck in the summer heat. Enjoy them served warm, chilled, or at room temperature.
My Tips for the Best Pasta Salad
- Go (a little) past al dente. I like to cook pasta a minute or two longer for pasta salad than I would for a hot pasta dish. I think this helps the pasta drink up the dressing and prevents the pasta from reading as hard or crumbly once chilled. You can overshoot it, though, so watch the time and taste for texture. Nobody likes a mushy pasta salad!
- More salad, less pasta. I’m a firm believer that in a great pasta salad, the vegetable and protein components should shine, with the pasta playing a supporting role.
- Season it like you mean it. Cold dulls flavor; a great pasta salad is seasoned thoroughly enough, or has enough bold ingredients that, even once chilled, it’s still flavorful!
- Dress the pasta hot! There is one pasta salad trick that makes all the difference: mix the hot pasta immediately with the dressing. This ensures that the pasta soaks up the dressing!
- Make it ahead of time. I think pasta salads taste even better after a few hours in the fridge, once the pasta has had time to soak up all that wonderful dressing.
Italian Pasta Salad
A spread of antipasto—delectable “before pasta” nibbles—inspired this Italian pasta salad recipe. It’s packed with salami, tangy marinated artichokes, cherry tomatoes, olives, spicy pepperoncini, and pearls of mozzarella. The combination of big flavors makes every bite delicious. It’s great as a main with grilled vegetables as a side, and maybe a strawberry granita for dessert.
Greek Pasta Salad
This is the pasta version of my favorite Greek salad with a satisfying twist: farfalle pasta joins crisp cucumber, juicy cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, briny Kalamata olives, and creamy feta, all dressed in a zippy garlic-lemon vinaigrette. It’s perfect with grilled chicken souvlaki!
Sweet Potato Couscous Salad
A perfect springtime pasta salad, this one has cubes of buttery roasted sweet potato with peppery arugula and pearl couscous. Slivers of almonds and red onion add crunch, while crumbled feta adds a salty punch. I love this one with Chicken Piccata Meatballs.
Mediterranean Chicken Pasta Salad
Want a make-ahead lunch for hot days? This pasta salad is a full meal: herb-seasoned chicken breast tossed with rigatoni, sweet cherry tomatoes, tangy roasted peppers, and peppery arugula. Kalamata olives and capers add a salty finish, while fresh basil and red wine vinaigrette soak into the pasta as it chills.
Pesto Pasta Salad
Vibrant green basil pesto is one of my favorite summer flavor-makers, and it’s the star of this simple, vegetarian pasta salad. I love that Chef Abigail, who developed this recipe, includes even more veg—zucchini, snow peas, and cherry tomatoes—than pasta! Add some simple grilled chicken breasts for extra protein!
Shrimp Pasta Salad with Avocado and Feta
The combination of sweet, juicy shrimp and creamy avocado is underrated, especially with crumbles of salty feta. Fresh herbs and a zesty lemon dressing make this easy shrimp pasta salad recipe perfect for a hot day! Need a side? This one is great with lemony grilled asparagus.
Strawberry Orzo Pasta Salad
This is the pasta salad that surprises everyone: orzo tossed with fresh sliced strawberries, roasted baby broccoli, and spicy arugula. It’s got layers of herby flavor thanks to scallions, fresh parsley, and basil. A little salty feta and a honey-lemon vinaigrette makes the sweetness of the strawberries sing.
Spinach Tortellini Salad
Using fresh cheese tortellini is one of my favorite ways to make an interesting pasta salad, without needing too many ingredients! I load mine up with lots of spinach and herbs. Sun-dried tomatoes and olives balance out the mild cheese in the pasta. I’ve been making this recipe for years, and it’s a family favorite paired with lemon garlic drumsticks.
Caprese Pasta Salad
With only eight ingredients (including salt and pepper), this is arguably the easiest pasta salad recipe on this entire list! You don’t even need to make a dressing; swizzles of olive oil and balsamic vinegar are enough for this irresistible combination of chewy orecchiette, tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil.
Summer Pasta Salad with Corn, Zucchini, Basil Vinaigrette
When we’re in the season for peak summer produce, this is the pasta salad I make on repeat: golden corn kernels and lightly seared zucchini rounds are tossed with shell pasta, juicy cherry tomatoes, and a basil vinaigrette. It is bright and breezy, perfect next to grilled salmon with a juicy watermelon salad on the side.
Mediterranean Couscous Salad
Little round pieces of chickpeas and pearl couscous complement one another, and cucumber, cherry tomatoes, olives, and marinated artichokes add just enough color and texture. Don’t skip the step of toasting the couscous first! It takes very little time and makes a big difference. Serve it as a light vegetarian dinner next to roasted eggplant and a Mediterranean dip like garlic hummus or baba ganoush.
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