11 Pasta Salads Your Cousin Stations Herself Next to and Calls Being Helpful

A cookout table can look unfinished when the only cold side is a bag of chips. These 11 pasta salads bring chicken, salmon, steak, shrimp, bacon, eggs, vegetables, and pizza-style mix-ins into bowls with enough substance to support the main dish. The lineup includes creamy and vinaigrette-based options, plus several salads that can stand in for lunch or a light dinner. Use the collection when the menu needs a chilled side that can be prepared ahead and still hold its place beside the grill.

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

Rotisserie chicken gives Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad enough substance for eight servings in 1 hour 2 minutes, including 30 minutes of chilling. Rotini, Caesar dressing, lemon, cherry tomatoes, bacon, Parmesan, romaine, and croutons fill the bowl. Keeping the lettuce and croutons separate until serving prevents them from softening. Bring it to a cookout when the cold side needs protein, pasta, and crunch in the same dish.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

Salmon Pasta Salad

Leftover cooked fish turns Salmon Pasta Salad into 10 servings with 5 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking. Orecchiette, grated cucumber, sour cream, mayonnaise, dill, parsley, and lemon juice surround the salmon without covering its texture. Chilling the pasta and squeezing moisture from the cucumber help the dressing stay thick. Serve it for lunch or place it beside grilled food when a seafood-based salad would add more weight than chips.
Get the Recipe: Salmon Pasta Salad

Italian Pasta Salad

A scratch vinaigrette keeps Italian Pasta Salad bright through 1 hour 32 minutes, including an hour of chilling, and makes eight servings. Fusilli, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, olives, mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil fill the bowl. Holding back some dressing helps the pasta stay coated at serving time. Set it beside burgers, sausages, or chicken when the cookout needs a colorful no-mayo option.
Get the Recipe: Italian Pasta Salad

Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Shrimp

Shrimp and chickpeas make Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Shrimp substantial enough for eight servings in 35 minutes. Feta, grape tomatoes, bell pepper, cucumber, sun-dried tomatoes, red onion, lemon, dill, parsley, and oregano join the cooled orzo. The mix works as either a side or a cold main because it includes pasta, seafood, beans, and vegetables. Refrigerate it before a cookout or pack it for a lunch that does not need reheating.
Get the Recipe: Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Shrimp

Rotisserie Chicken Pasta Salad

Bowtie pasta and cooked chicken carry Rotisserie Chicken Pasta Salad through a 30-minute recipe that serves six. Roasted red peppers, red onion, basil, parsley, garlic, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and white wine vinegar create a lighter creamy dressing. Using prepared chicken keeps the cooking limited to the pasta. Make it for a backyard meal when the table needs a chilled dish that can work beside grilled food or stand in as dinner.
Get the Recipe: Rotisserie Chicken Pasta Salad

Steak & Pasta Salad

Tender beef turns Steak & Pasta Salad into an eight-serving cold meal in 25 minutes. Pasta, spinach, cherry tomatoes, radishes, corn, blue cheese, red onion, and optional candied walnuts are coated with buttermilk ranch dressing. The steak gives the bowl enough protein to move beyond a supporting side. Serve it when the grill menu needs another beef option, or use it as the main dish for a summer lunch.
Get the Recipe: Steak & Pasta Salad

Deviled Egg Pasta Salad

Hard-boiled eggs give Deviled Egg Pasta Salad eight servings in 20 minutes. Elbow macaroni, mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, Dijon mustard, cider vinegar, celery, red onion, bell pepper, smoked paprika, and chives recreate familiar deviled egg flavors in a cold bowl. Pasta makes the dish easier to portion across a larger table. Chill it for barbecues, potlucks, or picnics when the side dish needs more staying power than crackers or chips.
Get the Recipe: Deviled Egg Pasta Salad

Picnic Bacon Pasta Salad

Smoky bacon and cheddar fill Picnic Bacon Pasta Salad, a 50-minute recipe that serves six. Farfalle, grape tomatoes, green bell pepper, green onions, mayonnaise, sour cream, cider vinegar, bacon fat, parsley, dill, garlic powder, and smoked paprika build the bowl. The cheese and bacon make it sturdy enough to sit beside burgers or ribs. Prepare it for a picnic or potluck where a cold pasta side needs to travel well and feed several people.
Get the Recipe: Picnic Bacon Pasta Salad

BLT Pasta Salad – With Bacon!

Classic sandwich ingredients shift into BLT Pasta Salad – With Bacon!, a 25-minute dish with eight servings. Pasta, mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon, lemon juice, bacon, grape tomatoes, romaine, red onion, and parsley form the creamy salad. Adding the lettuce near serving time helps preserve its crunch after the pasta chills. Bring it to a barbecue when familiar bacon, lettuce, and tomato flavors will make the cold side easy to recognize.
Get the Recipe: BLT Pasta Salad – With Bacon!

Pizza Pasta Salad

Pepperoni and pepper Jack give Pizza Pasta Salad eight servings in 20 minutes. Fusilli, bell pepper, red onion, grape tomatoes, Italian dressing, parsley, and Italian seasoning round out the pizza-style mix-ins without needing a hot oven. The combination is familiar enough for a casual table but more substantial than a bowl of chips. Chill it before a cookout, potluck, or weekday lunch, then serve it alongside burgers, chicken, or grilled vegetables.
Get the Recipe: Pizza Pasta Salad

Summer Bow Tie Pasta Salad

Fresh summer vegetables spread through Summer Bow Tie Pasta Salad, a 33-minute recipe with eight servings. Farfalle, grape tomatoes, orange bell pepper, zucchini, yellow squash, black olives, parsley, garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, Dijon, honey, and Italian seasoning fill the bowl. The vinaigrette keeps it lighter than the creamy options in the collection. Use it when the cookout menu needs color, vegetables, and a chilled pasta side that can be made ahead.
Get the Recipe: Summer Bow Tie Pasta Salad