Easy Make-Ahead Pasta Salad Recipes
These pasta salad recipes are easy and delicious. One of my favorite things about pasta salads is that you can make them ahead of time. I love to keep a big batch in my fridge all week for easy meals, and they’re the perfect make-ahead side for Easter dinner, a summer BBQ, or potluck!
Whether you’re looking for a creamy, decadent Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad with bacon, a lighter, healthier Caprese version, or one packed full of Greek/Mediterranean flavors, I’ve got you covered with these scrumptious recipes.
And before I go further, I’d love to share one of my favorite pasta salad tricks with you.
How to make pasta salad in advance so it doesn’t dry out!
When pasta salad sits too long in the fridge, it has a tendency to absorb most of the dressing and dry out. Luckily, there’s a super simple trick to preventing dry pasta salad that works with most pasta salad recipes.
The solution? Save half the dressing in a separate bowl or container in your fridge, and mix it in just before serving!
Or, you can also drizzle in some olive oil just before serving, if olive oil works with the recipe you’re making.
Without further ado, here are some of the best pasta salad recipes the internet has to offer!
1. Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
This Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad is PACKED with super sweet corn, queso fresco, and bacon, and is tossed in a creamy chili lime dressing.
2. BLT Pasta Salad
BLT Pasta Salad is an easy make ahead side or main recipe, with torn romaine, thick-cut bacon, and sweet cherry tomatoes in a creamy garlic-herb dressing.
3. Green Goddess Pasta Salad
Green Goddess Pasta Salad with avocado, broccoli, spinach, and pumpkin seeds tossed in a lemon garlic olive oil dressing is an easy and healthy pasta salad literally bursting at the seams with healthy ingredients.
4. Caprese Pasta Salad with Creamy Balsamic Dressing
This fast and easy Caprese Pasta Salad recipe is coated in a light, creamy balsamic and olive oil dressing.
5. Creamy Lemony Veggie Pasta Salad
This Creamy Lemony Vegetable Pasta Salad is so quick and easy. The vegetables boil with the pasta in the water, meaning less time, effort, and fewer dishes!
6. Greek Pasta Salad with Herb Vinaigrette
This refreshing Greek Pasta Salad with Herb Vinaigrette recipe is packed with healthy ingredients like white beans, arugula, and fresh veggies.
7. Israeli (Pearl) Couscous salad
This easy Mediterranean Couscous Salad uses Israeli, or pearl, couscous, which are like tiny circles of pasta. Toasting them in oil before cooking brings out a nutty flavor, then the cooked couscous is mixed with a lemon garlic olive oil dressing and tossed with cucumber, olives, tomato, feta cheese, and herbs.
8. Classic Macaroni Salad
This classic macaroni salad recipe features pickles and pickle juice for flavor, green onion, peas, corn, and bell pepper.
9. Shrimp and Orzo Salad
This easy Shrimp Orzo Salad is packed with corn, green onions, and the most delicious lemony, garlicky herb vinaigrette!
10. Tortellini Salad with Chicken and Zucchini
This cold Italian Tortellini Salad with fresh zucchini and rotisserie chicken is tossed in an easy homemade Italian dressing.
11. Mediterranean Chickpea and Orzo Salad
This easy Chickpea and Orzo Salad is bursting with Mediterranean flavor- olives, feta, sun dried tomatoes, lemon, and garlic- combined with an awesome crunch from toasted almonds.
12. Pesto pasta Salad
For this Pesto Pasta Salad you only need 15 minutes and four ingredients – premade pesto, pasta, cherry tomatoes, and goat cheese!
Do you have a favorite pasta salad recipe you make again and again? Leave it in the comments below, I’d love to hear about them and add to this list!
These all look awesome! I love trying new pasta salads and will come here the next time I’m looking for a recipe. Thanks so much for including us! :)
Thank YOU for your delicious recipe! :-)