12 Stellar Pasta Salads for Summer

From a version with chorizo and peppers to an old-school macaroni number, these recipes give pasta salad a new claim to fame.

The Serious Eats Team

Updated June 17, 2020

20150604-pasta-salad-italian-tomato-basil-daniel-gritzer-11.jpg — Daniel Gritzer

We'll start with some truth: There's a lot of bad pasta salad out there. No one wants to eat an assemblage of limp, greasy vegetables and cardboard-like pasta. Fortunately, it's possible to make a pasta salad that's worth eating, but first you have to recognize one fundamental fact: Pasta salad is pasta, not salad. As such, it should be sauced rather than dressed, made with cooked vegetables rather than raw ones, and served at room temperature. Keep these guidelines in mind—though there are exceptions, as you'll see below!—and you'll end up with a pasta salad that completely changes how you view the dish. These 12 recipes, including ones for fideuà salad with chorizo and peppers, spicy peanut noodle salad, and an old-school macaroni number, are all stellar examples of pasta salad's true potential.

Spanish Pasta Salad With Chorizo, Piquillo Peppers, and Pickled Onion
Daniel Gritzer
With a sauce spiked with Spanish chorizo and garlic, plus pickled red onion and roasted piquillo peppers—remember, cooked veggies are what you're after!—this pasta salad is full of flavor. Avoid attempting to add extra tang in this pasta salad (or most others) with more vinegar, which can leave an unpleasant acerbic aftertaste. Instead, we use parsley, scallions, and lemon zest to brighten things up.
Get the recipe for Spanish Pasta Salad With Chorizo, Piquillo Peppers, and Pickled Onion
Blistered-Tomato Pasta Salad With Basil
Daniel Gritzer
You can get terrific results by applying our guidelines to a standard tomato and basil pasta salad. To do it, cook ripe cherry tomatoes in olive oil until they blister and burst, creating a flavorful sauce to coat the noodles. Since fresh herbs are the exception to the no-raw-veggies rule, we finish the salad with a handful of fragrant torn basil leaves.
Get the recipe for Blistered-Tomato Pasta Salad With Basil
Italian Seafood-Salad Pasta Salad With Vietnamese Noodles
Daniel Gritzer
There's a catch to our pasta-salad rules: They apply only when you're using Italian-style dried wheat noodles. Asian-style noodles work much better for traditional vinaigrette-dressed pasta salads (and also pair just fine with uncooked vegetables—go figure). This recipe capitalizes on that versatility, bringing Vietnamese rice noodles together with a summery Italian seafood salad, dressed lightly with olive oil, lemon, and herbs.
Get the recipe for Italian Seafood-Salad Pasta Salad With Vietnamese Noodles
Whole Wheat Spaghetti Salad With Grilled Zucchini, Kalamata Olives, and Feta
Jennifer Olvera
Whole wheat pasta has a bit more chew, which makes it a good candidate for standing up to vinaigrettes. Here, we toss the cooked noodles with grilled zucchini, fresh tomatoes, basil, and briny olives and feta, then coat the mixture in a simple red wine vinaigrette. This salad is a great make-ahead option—just wait to add the basil leaves until right before you serve it.
Get the recipe for Whole Wheat Spaghetti Salad With Grilled Zucchini, Kalamata Olives, and Feta
Continue to 5 of 12 below
Soba Salad With Seaweed, Cucumbers, and Asparagus
Daniel Gritzer
Again, with an Asian noodle like soba, the rules go out the window—not only is this salad coated with an acidic lemon-soy vinaigrette, it's got raw cucumbers for crunch! Adding rehydrated seaweed and blanched asparagus to the mix gives the salad plenty of textural contrast, and a hit of fresh ginger perks up the dressing.
Get the recipe for Soba Salad With Seaweed, Cucumbers, and Asparagus
Spicy Peanut Noodle Salad With Cucumbers, Red Peppers, and Basil
J. Kenji López-Alt
For a refreshing and lighter take on Asian pasta salad, try flipping the typical ratio, focusing primarily on the vegetables and mixing in a modest quantity of noodles. That's what we do for this dish, which is crammed with sliced cucumber, bell pepper, scallion, mung bean sprouts, chilies, and herbs. Peanut butter, soy sauce, chili sauce, and lime juice combine to make a creamy dressing that's rich enough to complement the freshness of the other ingredients.
Get the recipe for Spicy Peanut Noodle Salad With Cucumbers, Red Peppers, and Basil
Sichuan Shirataki Sesame Noodle Salad With Cucumber, Sichuan Peppercorn, Chili Oil, and Peanuts
J. Kenji López-Alt
Shirataki, a kind of Japanese noodle made from yam starch, has a reputation as a bland health food, since it's sometimes used as a gluten-free pasta alternative. But it's more than that: These noodles have a slippery, slick texture that's perfect for cold salads, and they're essentially flavorless, which makes them a good canvas for all sorts of dressings. Here, we use a fiery sauce of Sichuan peppercorns, black vinegar, garlic, and soy sauce, and fold in crushed peanuts and chopped cucumber for crunch.
Get the recipe for Sichuan Shirataki Sesame Noodle Salad With Cucumber, Sichuan Peppercorn, Chili Oil, and Peanuts
Tangy and Creamy Macaroni Salad
Joshua Bousel
Not every traditional picnic side has to be reimagined in a nouveau light. This is a real-deal, old-fashioned, creamy-mayo-dressed macaroni salad, though with a few helpful additions—namely, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice, which give it more depth. For texture, we also incorporate chopped celery, shallots, and scallions.
Get the recipe for Tangy and Creamy Macaroni Salad
Continue to 9 of 12 below
Pasta Salad with Peas and Pesto
Jenniger Segal
Pesto pasta is just as delicious cold as it is hot, if you know how to prepare it correctly. It’s important to add the pesto to the pasta little by little to prevent clumping, then incorporate lemon juice to prevent the sauce from drying out. Peas boost the green color of the salad, while walnuts add a delicious crunch.
Get the recipe for Pasta Salad with Peas and Pesto
Vietnamese Citrus and Noodle Salad With Fresh Herbs and Fried Yuba (Tofu Skin)
J. Kenji Lopez-Alt
This Vietnamese noodle salad brings together a variety of flavors and textures. Fresh vegetables and crispy, fried tofu bring the crunch, while a sweet and savory sauce made of garlic, lime, and chili bring umami flavor. The best way to top it off is with fried shallots, chopped peanuts, and fresh herbs. It may look like a salad, but it eats like a meal.
Get the recipe for Vietnamese Citrus and Noodle Salad With Fresh Herbs and Fried Yuba (Tofu Skin)
Easy Cold Sesame Noodles With Shredded Chicken
Yasmin Fahr
Though this salad calls for Chinese egg noodles, you can easily get away with linguine, spaghetti, or ramen if that’s all you’ve got. Whatever you go with, you’ll mix it with chunks of poached chicken and a flavorful dressing that includes tahini, soy sauce, ginger, and fish sauce. The final product delivers a refreshing bite with a hint of heat—a combination that makes for the perfect summer dish.
Get the recipe for Easy Cold Sesame Noodles With Shredded Chicken
Hiyashi Chuka (Cold Ramen) With Shrimp, Ham, and Vegetables
Shao Z.
Ramen has a place on this pasta salad list because it can be enjoyed cold, too, especially when the temperatures start to rise. We keep the shrimp and the noodles chilled, and then serve them with a refreshing dressing of soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, and sesame oil. You can add whatever toppings you like, such as corn, scallions, tomato, and even crab stick.
Get the recipe for Hiyashi Chuka (Cold Ramen) With Shrimp, Ham, and Vegetables

12 Stellar Pasta Salads for Summer

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