21 Italian Pasta Salad Recipes (2024)

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These Italian pasta salads, which are packed with flavor, are a must for your next picnic or backyard BBQ.

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Potluck Antipasto Pasta Salad

I love trying new recipes, and this one for Italian pasta salad tops all other varieties I've tried. With beans, cheese, sausage and vegetables, it's a hearty complement to any meal. —Bernadette Nelson, Arcadia, California

Learn how to make your own pasta salad with these tips.

2/21

Chicken and Spinach Pasta Salad

My family loves pasta salads, but usually they have too much mayonnaise or oily dressing. Using hummus gives this dish a great taste and texture, while also increasing its nutritional profile. Adding chicken (store-bought rotisserie chicken works well), makes this pasta salad a complete meal. —Jenny Lynch, Rock Island, Illinois

3/21

Garden Pesto Pasta Salad

My family and I live on a homestead in the Missouri Ozarks and produce much of our own food. In the summer, when the garden is bursting with fresh vegetables and it’s too hot to cook, I like to use the season's veggies for pesto pasta salad and other cool meals. —Sarah Mathews, Ava, Missouri

4/21

With pasta salad, it’s easy to change up ingredients. We like to add grilled chicken and pine nuts, and sometimes we substitute black beans for the garbanzo beans. —Julie Kirkpatrick, Billings, Montana

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6/21

Lemon Parmesan Orzo

A splash of lemon and a shower of chopped parsley make this orzo one of my family's most requested springtime sides. It's fantastic with chicken, pork and fish, or you can eat it on its own as a light lunch. —Leslie Palmer, Swampscott, Massachusetts

7/21

Spinach-Orzo Salad with Chickpeas

The first version of this salad was an experiment in mixing together some random ingredients I had on hand. It was a success, and several people at the party asked for the recipe—which meant I had to re-create it! It's healthy, delicious and perfect for warm-weather days. —Glen White, Kissimmee, Florida

8/21

Tri-Color Pasta Salad

Tackle gatherings with a bright side dish. This tri-color pasta salad with broccoli, tomatoes, olives and a hardworking dressing is one of the easiest cold pasta salad recipes you could take. —Amanda Cable, Boxford, Massachusetts

9/21

10/21

Lemon Mushroom Orzo

Sometimes I serve this side dish chilled and other times we enjoy it hot. It has a pleasant tinge of lemon and a nice crunch from pecans.—Shelly Nelson, Akeley, Minnesota

11/21

Connie's Tortellini Salad

Toss satisfying cheese tortellini and mozzarella with refreshing veggies for a substantial potluck salad. Sometimes I keep a bowl of this in the fridge for family members to dig into when they need something fast. — Connie Eaton, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

12/21

Everyone needs a perfect pasta salad that’s easy to make, especially on busy nights when your family wants a dish that’s fast, light and cool. This is just the thing. —Jill Donley, Warsaw, Indiana

13/21

Panzanella Pasta

We take classic panzanella ingredients like ripe tomatoes, peppers and olives and toss them with hot noodles for a hearty pasta dish. My kids especially like the crunchy croutons. —Ashley Pierce, Brantford, Ontario

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16/21

Homemade Antipasto Salad

This colorful antipasto salad is a tasty crowd-pleaser. Guests love the homemade dressing, which is a nice change from bottled Italian. — Linda Harrington, Windham, New Hampshire

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19/21

Garlic Parmesan Orzo

This buttery pasta dish calls for orzo, which cooks quickly and is a nice change from ordinary pasta shapes. "This fantastic recipe was inspired by a similar dish I once tried. It makes a superb side dish anytime. The garlic and Parmesan cheese really stand out. —Stephanie Moon, Boise, Idaho

20/21

Pizza Salad

A fun summer dish, this is a different salad that tastes as good as it looks. I love to take it to parties—the wonderful zesty flavor really complements a barbecue! —Debbie Terenzini-Wilkerson, Lusby, Maryland

21/21

Potluck Antipasto Salad

I take this fresh-tasting, colorful salad to potluck dinners throughout the year, since everyone who tries it loves it. The pasta, garbanzo beans and pepperoni make it a nice hearty dish. —Agnes Bulkley, Hicksville, New York

Caroline has been with Taste of Home for the past seven years, working in both print and digital. After starting as an intern for the magazine and special interest publication teams, Caroline was hired as the third-ever digital editor for Taste of Home. Since then, she has researched, written and edited content on just about every topic the site covers, including cooking techniques, buzzy food news, gift guides and many, many recipe collections. Caroline also acts as the editorial lead for video, working with the Test Kitchen, videographers and social media team to produce videos from start to finish.When she’s not tip-tapping on a keyboard, Caroline is probably mixing up a killer co*cktail, reading a dog-eared library book or cooking up a multi-course feast (sometimes all at once). Though she technically lives in Milwaukee, there is a 50/50 chance Caroline is in Chicago or southwest Michigan visiting her close-knit family.