Summer barbecues always make me think of corn on the cob, grilled hamburgers, watermelon, and of course, pasta salads. It’s as if there is a summer party prerequisite that states it’s not a party unless pasta salad is on the table. I agree and I suppose that makes sense considering pasta salads can easily feed a crowd and most people like them. They also have the unique distinction of being a food that’s better when made at least one day in advance. There are also an endless number of ways to make one, which means you could eat a different pasta salad every single day if you wanted—not that we recommend it.
But if you’re looking for a good recipe, you’re in the right place because we tested five different pasta salad recipes on the site and found a winner.
Which Pasta Salad Recipes Did I Test
We scoured our site, which is filled with fabulous recipes written by you, our readers, to find the best pasta salad recipe. Narrowing the list down proved challenging, but we came up with five, all with an average 4.5 star rating or higher, and put them to the test.
How I Judged the Recipes
I gathered a group of pasta salad fanatics and asked them to try each prepared recipe. They were given bowls of each, but not told the name, so as to prevent any bias. I asked them to try each recipe and then provide their thoughts on taste, texture and appearance. Once they’d tasted them all, I asked them to reveal their favorite. Here are the results.
The Results
Best Pasta Salad for Summer Barbecues:
Sara Haas
- The recipe: Classic Macaroni Salad, submitted by Graden
- Average rating: 4.5
- Rave review: “Omg!!! Can’t imagine ever wanting store bought!!! The amount of flavor to a common dish. If you are a macaroni salad person I promise you will want seconds and this recipe!” —FlashyTuna1119
Kudos to Graden for sharing a recipe that’s amazingly simple to make. You have to chop a few vegetables, but that can easily be accomplished while your pasta cooks. The dressing is sweet—made with mayonnaise, white sugar, white vinegar, yellow mustard, salt and pepper—and perhaps a bit overly so. My testers agreed the pasta salad was good but is dangerously close to being too sweet. Most of them said they would’ve liked it more if it had less sugar. The crunch of the celery, bell peppers, and onion was a nice contrast to the pasta and creamy dressing. It would make a great side dish for salty and spicy main dishes like hamburgers, blackened chicken, or fish or sausages. Next time, I’ll make it with half the sugar!
Best Pasta Salad for Using Pantry Staples
Sara Haas
- The recipe: A Great Greek Pasta Salad, submitted by Behr
- Average rating: 4.6
- Rave review: “Excellent! My go to for a quick meal or a potluck. Definitely better after refrigeration.” —Me C
The dressing for this pasta salad is one of the best of the bunch, and I loved that I had most of the ingredients used to make it already stocked in my pantry. Testers enjoyed all of the crisp vegetables as well as the salty feta cheese and black olives. Their only complaints were about the “unnecessary amount of mushrooms” and the use of macaroni versus another shape of pasta. Luckily, those two things can easily be adjusted. I would agree that three cups of sliced mushrooms is substantial. In fact, I didn’t feel like they added much to the dish, so I would probably leave them out next time and add more bell peppers or tomatoes instead. I agreed that another pasta shape would be better, and would love to try it again using rotini or bow tie pasta.
Best Pasta Salad For Bacon Lovers
Sara Haas
- The recipe: Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad, submitted by Wilemon
- Average rating: 4.7
- Rave review: “I have been using this recipe for years. I originally stumbled across it when I was looking for a homemade version of a “Suddenly Salad” boxed salad that my husband and I liked. It’s a staple for potlucks and picnics.” —SpeedyRoll8229
“Bacon and ranch flavors were born to be on pasta!” At least that’s what one of my testers told me and I agree! I loved the smokey bacon flavor paired with the tangy, herby ranch dressing—which was made by combining a few tablespoons of ranch salad dressing mix with garlic pepper, garlic powder, mayonnaise, and milk. Testers liked the flavor but felt like it needed more texture and perhaps some onion to “play” with the flavors of the bacon and ranch. I agree and would also recommend choosing a delicious bacon for this one—and if you’re up for it, use a little bit of the leftover bacon fat to add to the dressing!
Best Pasta Salad For Cured Meat Fans
Sara Haas
- The recipe: Awesome Pasta Salad, submitted by Irlandes
- Average rating: 4.6
- Rave review: “Tasty, easy to make, and all you have to do is boil some pasta and add some chopped up goodies. Boundless iterations can keep it from getting repetitive.” —Zahira Malakh
If you’re a fan of cured meats, then you’ll love this pasta salad. My testers enjoyed the salty bits of pepperoni and salami, but also liked the dressing, which was ironically, a store-bought bottle of Italian dressing. While there is a bit of prep involved with cutting the meat and cheese, it didn’t take me more than 15 minutes to prepare. I liked it, but felt kalamata olives would’ve been a better choice and I think some sliced scallions or red onion would bring some balance. As for the group, our final verdict was that the pasta salad was tasty, but very salty. Next time, I’ll consider making my own vinaigrette dressing.
Best Pasta Salad Overall
Sara Haas
- The recipe: Club Chicken Pasta Salad, submitted by Lane J
- Average rating: 4.7
- Rave review: “This salad has such great flavors. The bacon is a must. I couldn’t find a block of Muenster cheese so I used Monterey Jack and it was very good! I will definitely make this again!” —Susan
The winning pasta salad recipe is everything that’s awesome about pasta salad: great dressing, a variety of meats and cheese, and a solid amount of crisp, crunchy vegetables. My testers couldn’t get enough of this “club-style” pasta salad and we easily finished the bowl. I loved the easy dressing which is made by combining Italian dressing with mayonnaise—so simple!
I also liked that it included rotisserie chicken, which saved me from having to cook the chicken myself, and that it had just the right amount of crunchy, salty bacon to keep things interesting. The avocado was also a great addition that testers said added the perfect creaminess. While it’s delicious on its own, we thought it would be even more delicious served over lettuce, especially on a hot day. If you’re after a pasta salad recipe that’s flavorful and can easily serve as a complete meal, this Club Chicken Pasta Salad is it.
