15+ Best Easy Pasta Salad Recipes in 30 Minutes
Check out our best easy pasta salad recipes that you can make in 30 minutes or less. Whether you’re looking for an easy weeknight dinner or a crowd-pleaser that can be made and packed up for a barbecue, we’ve got you covered. These four and five-star-rated recipes feature something for everyone, from vegetarian options to recipes that include chicken and tuna for some added protein. Recipes like our Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad makes an easy weeknight dinner, while Walnut Pesto Pasta Salad will brighten up your next picnic or potluck.
Walnut Pesto Pasta Salad
This cold pesto pasta salad will cool you off on a summer day. Fresh tomatoes and roasted red peppers add a pop of bright color and juiciness here, but any of your favorite pasta-salad veggies, like blanched broccoli and fresh bell peppers, would be delicious too.
Orzo Salad with Chickpeas & Artichoke Hearts
Photography / Fred Hardy, Styling / Kady Wohlfarth / Kay Clarke
This hearty orzo salad features feta, lemon and dill, three ingredients often found in Greek cuisine. Enjoy for lunch or dinner.
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
This scrumptious and healthy salad combines elements of Caesar salad, pasta salad and chicken salad for an easy weeknight dinner that comes together in less than 30 minutes (and most of the prep can be done ahead). Use your blender to whip together the tangy buttermilk-based dressing, which would also be great on a salmon or chickpea salad.
Pasta Salad with Black Beans & Avocado Dressing
Everyone will love this pasta salad recipe that’s packed with tomatoes, corn and black beans. We lighten up the creamy dressing with avocado for a healthier version of a picnic favorite.
Make-Ahead Chicken Pasta Salad
Need something to bring to a party or backyard barbecue? This make-ahead chicken pasta salad recipe is classic and completely adaptable-you can swap in whatever veggies, herbs or cheese you like.
Elote-Inspired Pasta Salad
Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Anna Kelly, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman
This zesty pasta salad draws inspiration from the flavors of elote—Mexican grilled corn on the cob that’s smothered in a creamy mayo-based sauce and sprinkled with chili powder, cotija cheese and lime. Corn kernels blister in the hot pan and a sprinkle of smoked paprika brings out the flavor. If you can’t find cotija cheese, grated Parmesan is a good substitute.
Cashew, Chickpea & Pasta Salad with Cilantro-Mint-Shallot Vinaigrette
Sarah Haas
In our humble opinion, the dressing makes this salad. Tangy and zesty with a bit of a crunch from the shallots, this cilantro-mint-shallot vinaigrette will quickly become your go-to. Make the dressing and chop up the veggies while you wait for the pasta to cook, then mix everything and enjoy!
Dill-Pickle Pasta Salad with Creamy Dill Dressing
If you’re a fan of pickles, this easy pasta salad will easily become your go-to. If you want to give it some extra kick, an additional teaspoon or two of hot sauce will do the trick. Pair it with anything hot off the grill or pack it up for a picnic. It can also easily translate from a side dish to an entree by adding a can of flaked tuna or shredded chicken.
Broccoli & Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad
We’ve loaded this healthy pasta salad with vegetables and bright flavors. Sun-dried tomatoes and a touch of lemon zest jazz up the dressing, while tender-crisp broccoli florets cook alongside the pasta, making assembly (and cleanup!) a breeze.
Caprese Pasta Salad
Photographer / Jennifer Causey, Food Stylist / Karen Rankin, Prop Stylist / Christine Keely
This light and fresh caprese pasta salad is brought together with a bright and tangy dressing, with fresh mozzarella pearls adding creaminess to every bite.
Vegan Macaroni Salad
You don’t have to be vegan to enjoy this vegan macaroni salad! The colorful array of veggies give it texture and flavor and help make it lighter than traditional pasta salads. It’s perfect to bring along to your next picnic or potluck.
Macaroni Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing
Give classic pasta salad a fresher, more flavorful spin. This fast pasta dish calls for avocado to replace some of the mayonnaise, which makes it extra creamy. Whole-wheat elbow macaroni and fresh vegetables round out this healthy pasta salad that you’ll be making all summer long.
Pesto Pasta Salad
A creamy pesto sauce turns this simple pasta salad into a delightful dinner. Adding broccoli to the pasta cooking water just before the pasta is done is a convenient way to briefly cook it so that it turns a vivid shade of green and softens slightly.
Pasta salad
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn
A quick dressing made from za’atar, red-wine vinegar and oil coats the noodles in this healthy pasta salad recipe. Cucumber adds crunch, while parsley provides an herbaceous note. Serve as a side dish or add protein like grilled chicken or shrimp to make it a complete meal.
Pasta Salad with Arugula-Lemon Pesto
This arugula-lemon pesto features zippy arugula, sunflower seeds and plenty of lemon for a tangy twist on classic pesto.
Pasta, Tuna & Roasted Pepper Salad
The secret to this delicious pasta salad is a creamy low-fat dressing made with bottled roasted red peppers. If you have cooked chicken on hand, you can substitute it for the tuna.
Curried Chicken & Pasta Salad
This crowd-pleasing pasta salad is potluck-perfect for barbecue season. Madras Curry powder adds a subtle heat, but you can swap it out for sweet curry powder to keep the spice level down without sacrificing the flavor.
Chicken Caprese Pasta Salad Bowls
Pasta salad is a classic summer side dish, but adding protein (leftover grilled chicken is perfect here) and extra greens makes it a super-satisfying lunch. We use baby spinach, but arugula or baby kale works too. Top with a bright and tangy basil vinaigrette just before serving. The great news is that these easy meal-prep lunches take just 20 minutes to prepare—that’s 4 days of lunches in less than 30 minutes.
Vegetable & Tuna Pasta Salad
This delicious pasta salad recipe is made with zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, arugula and chunk light tuna, which is lower in mercury than white albacore tuna. For the best flavor, combine the pasta salad with the dressing about 1 hour before serving.
Whole-Grain Orzo & Grilled Vegetable Salad
This lovely orzo salad is rich with basil, grilled vegetables and tender fresh mozzarella cheese. The combination of vegetables, vinaigrette and fresh basil is a perfect base for the orzo and the cheese.
