Pasta is quite a versatile, fun, and easy-to-cook ingredient, making it a common pantry staple. While typically paired with delicious sauces, it can also be a great salad base. A pasta salad packed with veggies and protein sources can be an easy-to-make side dish or even a whole meal. One can also experiment with different ingredients and pasta salad variations to whip up a quick meal for busy weeknights, cookouts, picnics, and even potlucks.
1. Antipasto salad
This is an easy pasta salad recipe that can be made in bulk and used over a few days. It is also vibrant and flavorful, making it a fun meal option. It is also versatile, as one can add different types of cured meats and cheeses to it.
To make this salad, one must cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet. Spiral pasta shapes, like cavatappi or fusilli, are preferable here. Once the pasta is cooked, drain and rinse it under cold water. Then, transfer the pasta to a large bowl and add chopped tomatoes, onions, cooked chickpeas, and green peppers to it. Now, mix in salami, provolone, pepperoni, and olives. Instead of provolone, or in addition to it, one can opt for fresh mozzarella, burrata, pecorino, fontina, or Asiago. Similarly, prosciutto and spicy capicola can replace salami and pepperoni. Once all the ingredients are added to the bowl, everything should be tossed well.
To make the dressing, blend vinegar, sugar, oregano, pepper, and salt. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well. Once done, place the salad in the refrigerator for over four hours or overnight before serving.
2. Watermelon-feta orzo salad
The juiciness of watermelon and savoriness of feta make this homemade pasta recipe a fun, refreshing meal. To make the salad, start by cooking the orzo as per the instructions on the package and then rinse and drain the pasta in cold water to completely cool it. To make the dressing, combine honey and lemon juice in a bowl. Whisk the solution while slowly pouring olive oil into this mix. Season it with chopped basil leaves, pepper, and salt to taste. Now, add the cooked orzo, arugula, chopped watermelon (with the seeds removed), pine nuts, and feta. Toss everything well to get an even coat of dressing on everything. Sprinkle some more salt, pepper, feta, and chopped basil leaves.
3. Esquites-style poblano pasta salad
This easy pasta salad recipe is inspired by popular Mexican corn-based street foods—esquites and elote. Loaded with poblano chile, charred corn, scallions, and zucchini, this recipe makes the perfect salad for elevating a basic cookout spread.
Make this dish by cooking orecchiette pasta according to the steps in the package. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and set it aside. Then, in a large cast-iron skillet, heat some oil over medium heat. To this, add corn and cook it until the kernels start to char a bit and become tender. Transfer the corn to a bowl and wipe the skillet. Now add scallions to the skillet and cook them until they are slightly charred. Add the scallions to the bowl containing corn. Finally, add some oil to the skillet and cook the poblanos and zucchini. Once they start browning, take them off the pan and transfer them to the bowl. Then add the pasta, ancho chile powder, olive oil, black pepper, and salt. Combine everything well and let the salad cool at room temperature.
To make the dressing, combine chopped cilantro, crema, mayonnaise, lime zest and juice, minced garlic, and salt. Pour the dressing over the rest of the ingredients. The pasta salad is ready to serve with a sprinkle of Cotija and cilantro.
4. Classic macaroni salad
If looking for a creamy, refreshing side dish, one cannot go wrong with this classic pasta salad recipe. It also takes less than 15 minutes to prep.
Start by cooking elbow pasta in a pot of salted boiling water. Adding salt at this stage allows the pasta to develop some flavor. Cook pasta until it is al dente, drain it, and rinse it with cold water as soon as it reaches the desired consistency. Drizzle some oil over the drained pasta to keep it from sticking. Then, transfer the pasta to a large bowl. Add chopped plum tomatoes, carrots, olives, and grated carrots to the bowl.
To make the dressing, whisk some granulated sugar, lemon juice, and mayonnaise until the mixture starts to emulsify. Season it with black pepper and salt to taste and transfer it to the salad bowl. Toss all ingredients until the dressing coats everything.
This pasta salad can be served immediately or after refrigerating for a while.
5. Greek pasta salad
This vegetarian pasta salad recipe can be whipped up in under 10 minutes, making it a great side dish or appetizer for busy days.
First, take some small-sized pasta—spiral or orzo, preferably, as this will allow the dressing to cling to each piece. Now, cook the pasta in salted boiling water till it reaches al dente consistency. Drain and rinse the pasta and add it to a large bowl. Then, mix the cooked pasta with cherry tomatoes, chopped cucumber, chopped sweet peppers, cooked garbanzo beans, parsley, chopped onion, olives, and feta. Here, garbanzo beans are usually optional, but they can help add some protein to the salad.
For the dressing, whisk some vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, black pepper, and salt. Pour the dressing over the salad and combine everything well. Then, refrigerate the salad for about two hours before serving.