Best Pasta Salad Recipes

by Marsha - Budget Bytes
Pin Recipe

This post contains some affiliate links, which means that we make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.

Pasta Salads are one of my favorite recipes to make during the warm summer months. Primarily because I’m a huge pasta lover, but also because I love the combination of chilled pasta mixed with veggies and covered in a tangy vinaigrette dressing. Pasta salads are extremely versatile, easy to make and they hold up very well in the fridge which makes them perfect for leftovers. And they make pretty large servings, so they’re great for parties and cookouts!

Collage of several pasta salad recipes with text in the center

Here we’ve gathered 15 of our Best Pasta Salad recipes for you to enjoy at your next family gathering or simply all by yourself – we’re not judging you. ;-)

1. Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad

Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad

Overhead view of a bowl full of summer vegetable pasta salad
This light and fresh Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad is perfect for summer BBQs and potlucks, or your weekly meal prep.
4.77 from 39 votes
$8.76 recipe / $1.10 serving Get the Recipe

This Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad is the perfect recipe to enjoy during the warm summer months. It includes lots of colorful veggies and a tangy homemade vinaigrette dressing!

2. Tomato MOzzarella Pasta Salad

Tomato Mozzarella Pasta Salad

Parmesan Balsamic Vinaigrette being poured onto a bowl of Tomato Mozzarella Salad from a jar.
This Tomato Mozzarella Pasta Salad with homemade Parmesan Balsamic Vinaigrette is the perfect light and fresh summer meal. Perfect for potlucks!
4.94 from 29 votes
$8.59 recipe / $1.43 serving Get the Recipe

Who knew it was this easy to make your own version of a Caprese salad with this Tomato Mozzarella Pasta Salad recipe! This pasta salad is super simple to make and easy to customize to make it your own.

3. Lemony Cucumber Couscous Salad

Lemony Cucumber Couscous Salad

Overhead view of lemony cucumber couscous salad in a bowl garnished with lemons.
Lemony Cucumber Couscous Salad is a light, fresh, and vibrant pasta salad perfect for any summer meal. 
4.84 from 60 votes
$6.46 recipe / $1.08 serving Get the Recipe

Lemony Cucumber Couscous Salad is a simple, delicious summer salad made with just a few easy ingredients like fresh lemon and english cucumber and it stays good in the fridge for days!

4. Tortellini Salad

Tortellini Salad

Overhead shot of tortellini salad in a white bowl.
This fresh, vibrant, and utterly delicious Tortellini Salad feeds a crowd on a dime. The best part: you can put it together in minutes!
4.86 from 14 votes
$15.57 recipe / $1.30 serving Get the Recipe

This Tortellini Salad is one of our favorite new additions to our pasta salad line up! The vibrant and fresh flavors from the vegetables and Italian dressing match perfectly with the Tortellini pasta.

5. Summer Sweet Corn Salad

Summer Sweet Corn Salad

Close up of a bowl of Summer Sweet Corn Salad with a wooden spoon in the middle
Colorful summer vegetables, creamy avocado, pasta shells, and a homemade lemon vinaigrette make this light and fresh Summer Sweet Corn Salad.
4.79 from 19 votes
$7.67 recipe / $0.96 serving Get the Recipe

Fresh sweet corn on the cob is one of the best parts about summer. Take advantage of the season and make this Summer Sweet Corn Salad with a simple, and fresh lemon vinaigrette.

6. Macaroni Salad

Macaroni Salad

close up side view of macaroni salad in a bowl.
Macaroni Salad is an easy and inexpensive classic for potlucks, summer BBQs, or an easy side dish for dinner.
5 from 7 votes
$4.89 recipe / $0.61 serving Get the Recipe

You can’t have a potluck or a cookout without a big bowl of Macaroni Salad! This one is a classic summer pasta salad recipe.

7. Cold Peanut Noodle Salad

Cold Peanut Noodle Salad

Peanut Lime Dressing being poured onto a bowl of Cold Peanut Noodle Salad
This Cold Peanut Noodle Salad with homemade peanut lime dressing is the perfect meal prep for summer! No reheating necessary.
4.83 from 110 votes
$5.30 recipe / $1.33 serving Get the Recipe

This Cold Peanut Noodle Salad is finger-licking good thanks to the creamy and tangy peanut lime dressing that goes on top.

8. Broccoli Pasta Salad with Tomato Vinaigrette

Broccoli Pasta Salad with Tomato Vinaigrette

Close up side view of broccoli pasta salad with tomato vinaigrette on a platter
This Broccoli Pasta Salad features a tangy homemade vinaigrette, nutty sunflower seeds, and creamy-salty feta.
4.70 from 20 votes
$4.67 recipe / $1.17 serving Get the Recipe

Calling all broccoli lovers! This easy and delicious Broccoli Pasta Salad features a homemade tomato vinaigrette dressing and lots of creamy feta cheese.

9. Pizza Pasta Salad

Italian Pizza Pasta Salad

Close up of a serving bowl of pizza pasta salad, a wooden spoon in the side
Repurpose your leftover pizza toppings into this deliciously simple Italian style pizza pasta salad. Including a simple homemade Italian dressing!
4.72 from 14 votes
$7.98 recipe / $1.00 serving Get the Recipe

You can easily reuse your leftover pizza toppings by making this simple Pizza Pasta Salad. Mix and match with your favorite toppings to make it your own and top it off with a simple Italian dressing.

10. Greek Chicken Pasta Salad

Greek Chicken Pasta Salad

Greek Chicken Pasta Salad is the perfectly refreshing and filling summer meal with its medley of vegetables and tangy lemon garlic dressing.
4.89 from 44 votes
$8.91 recipe / $2.23 serving Get the Recipe

Turn your pasta salad into a full meal with this Greek Chicken Pasta Salad recipe. The chicken gets marinated in half of the tangy dressing giving it an extra boost of flavor!

11. Big Kale Pasta Salad

BIG Kale Pasta Salad

Overhead view of the serving bowl full of kale pasta salad.
This Big Kale Pasta Salad is the perfect fast and filling summer lunch, packed with flavors, textures, and colors. Great for meal prep!
4.90 from 19 votes
$7.88 recipe / $1.31 serving Get the Recipe

This Big Kale Pasta Salad includes lots of fresh kale massaged with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing, pasta, chickpeas and fresh vegetables to cover all the bases!

12. Sweep The Kitchen Pasta Salad

“Sweep the Kitchen” Pasta Salad

Overhead view of a bowl of "Sweep the Kitchen" Pasta Salad
Throw together meals like this “Sweep the Kitchen” Pasta Salad are my favorite way to use up leftovers in the kitchen. Easy, versatile, and never boring! 
4.86 from 7 votes
Get the Recipe

Got some leftover veggies in the fridge? Give this Sweep The Kitchen Pasta Salad a try! Use what you already have available and add a simple dressing or diced chicken if you want to make it a complete meal!

13. Italian Orzo Pasta Salad

Italian Orzo Salad

Filling enough to serve as a light meal, but light enough to act as an easy side dish, this Italian Orzo Salad is a versatile addition to your weekly meal prep. Budgetbytes.com
Filling enough to serve as a light meal, but light enough to act as an easy side dish, this Italian Orzo Salad is a versatile addition to your weekly meal prep. 
4.95 from 17 votes
$8.77 recipe / $2.19 serving Get the Recipe

A little pasta, a lot of vegetables and maybe some beans make the best combos for pasta salads. This Italian Orzo Salad is no exception. It’s perfect as a side dish and also great as a light meal.

14. Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad

Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad

This classic summer Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad features smoky fire licked vegetables and a homemade creamy balsamic vinaigrette. BudgetBytes.com
This classic summer Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad features smoky fire licked vegetables and a homemade creamy balsamic vinaigrette. 
4.83 from 23 votes
$9.65 recipe / $1.21 serving Get the Recipe

Grilled vegetables have a ton of flavor making this Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad even more delicious. Serve it with some balsamic vinaigrette and it makes the perfect side dish for BBQs and cookouts!

15. Spinach and Orzo Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Spinach and Orzo Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

A quick homemade balsamic vinaigrette makes this simple Spinach and Orzo Salad extra special. Serve as a light lunch or a side with dinner. BudgetBytes.com
A quick homemade balsamic vinaigrette makes this simple Spinach and Orzo Salad extra special. Serve as a light lunch or a side with dinner.
4.77 from 26 votes
$5.50 recipe / $1.38 serving Get the Recipe

This simple Spinach and Orzo Salad packs in a lot of flavor from the sun dried tomatoes, creamy feta cheese and the homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing. It works great as a light lunch or the perfect side to those summer BBQ cookouts!

Share this recipe

Posted in: , , , ,

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.