11 Pasta Salads That Make Showing Up to the BBQ With a Bowl Feel Like Bringing a Trophy

Add Preferred Source

Showing up to a barbecue with a pasta salad works better when the bowl can hold its texture, travel cold, and sit comfortably beside grilled food. These 11 pasta salads cover bacon, chicken, shrimp, salmon, steak, pesto, Caesar dressing, Italian vegetables, and pizza-inspired mix-ins. Several include make-ahead chilling time, while reserved dressing, late-added lettuce, or croutons help the salads stay fresh at serving time. The collection ranges from lighter vegetable-heavy bowls to protein-filled options that can double as lunch.

BLT Pasta Salad – With Bacon!

Crisp bacon gives BLT Pasta Salad – With Bacon! eight servings with 25 minutes of prep and cooking, followed by at least 30 minutes of chilling. Pasta, mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon, lemon juice, garlic powder, tomatoes, romaine, red onion, and parsley fill the creamy bowl. Rinsing the pasta stops the cooking before everything is tossed with the dressing. Add the lettuce near serving time for better crunch, then carry the salad cold to the barbecue.
Get the Recipe: BLT Pasta Salad – With Bacon!

Rotisserie Chicken Pasta Salad

Rotisserie chicken makes Rotisserie Chicken Pasta Salad in six servings in 30 minutes. Bow-tie pasta, roasted red peppers, red onion, basil, parsley, garlic, and a Greek yogurt dressing with lemon and white wine vinegar build the bowl. The pasta is cooked just shy of package time, cooled, and combined with the chopped ingredients. Keep the dressing separate until about 30 minutes before serving, then bring the salad cold as a substantial side.
Get the Recipe: Rotisserie Chicken Pasta Salad

Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Shrimp

Shrimp and feta make Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Shrimp, eight servings in 35 minutes. Orzo, chickpeas, grape tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, and red onion create the colorful base. Olive oil, lemon juice, sun-dried tomato oil, oregano, dill, parsley, and honey form the dressing after the pasta is cooled. Serve it chilled beside grilled chicken, lamb, fish, burgers, or vegetable skewers.
Get the Recipe: Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Shrimp

Italian Pasta Salad

Fresh mozzarella fills Italian Pasta Salad with eight servings in 1 hour 32 minutes. Fusilli, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, black olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil are coated with a scratch red wine vinaigrette. The pasta is rinsed and cooled before the salad chills for one hour, while some dressing can be reserved for serving. Transport it cold and refresh the bowl with the remaining vinaigrette before setting it beside grilled food.
Get the Recipe: Italian Pasta Salad

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

Caesar dressing coats Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad, an eight-serving bowl ready in 1 hour 2 minutes. Rotini, rotisserie chicken, cherry tomatoes, red onion, bacon, Parmesan, lemon zest, romaine, and garlic croutons create a substantial side or main. The dressed pasta mixture chills for at least 30 minutes before the lettuce and croutons are folded in. Keep those crisp additions separate during transport and combine them shortly before the barbecue table opens.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

Picnic Bacon Pasta Salad

Smoky bacon runs through Picnic Bacon Pasta Salad, which makes six servings in 50 minutes. Farfalle, grape tomatoes, green bell pepper, cheddar, and green onions are coated with mayonnaise, sour cream, cider vinegar, bacon fat, paprika, parsley, dill, garlic powder, and onion powder. The cooked pasta is rinsed cold before the ingredients and dressing are combined. Serve it immediately or refrigerate it for at least one hour before carrying the covered bowl to the barbecue.
Get the Recipe: Picnic Bacon Pasta Salad

Salmon Pasta Salad

Salmon and cucumber make Salmon Pasta Salad, 10 servings with 20 minutes of prep and cooking, plus a 20-minute draining step. Orecchiette, cooked salmon, sour cream, mayonnaise, dill, parsley, lemon juice, salt, and pepper create the chilled bowl. Salting the grated cucumber removes moisture before it is squeezed and folded into the dressed pasta. Add the salmon gently at the end so the pieces stay intact, then refrigerate until serving.
Get the Recipe: Salmon Pasta Salad

Pesto Orzo Salad

Pesto turns Pesto Orzo Salad into six servings with 20 minutes of prep and cooking, followed by about 30 minutes of chilling. Orzo, mayonnaise, Parmesan, pearl mozzarella, grape tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, green onions, lemon juice, pine nuts, and basil fill the bowl. The cooled pasta is mixed with pesto before the vegetables and cheese are folded in. Add the toasted pine nuts and fresh basil at serving time for a clean finish on the barbecue table.
Get the Recipe: Pesto Orzo Salad

Steak & Pasta Salad

Steak gives Steak & Pasta Salad eight servings with 25 minutes of preparation and a 20-minute chill. Cooked pasta, spinach, tomatoes, radishes, corn, blue cheese, red onion, and optional candied walnuts form the hearty base. Mayonnaise, buttermilk, Dijon, lemon juice, garlic, and fresh herbs make the ranch dressing that coats the salad. Reserve some dressing for leftovers, then serve the chilled bowl as a side or a more substantial barbecue plate.
Get the Recipe: Steak & Pasta Salad

Pizza Pasta Salad

Pepperoni brings Pizza Pasta Salad to eight servings with 20 minutes of prep and cooking, plus at least one hour in the refrigerator. Fusilli, pepper Jack, bell pepper, red onion, grape tomatoes, parsley, Italian seasoning, and Italian dressing recreate familiar pizza toppings in a cold bowl. The pasta is cooked just shy of package time and rinsed before mixing. Add a little more dressing before serving if the pasta absorbs it during the chill.
Get the Recipe: Pizza Pasta Salad

Summer Bow Tie Pasta Salad

Farfalle carries Summer Bow Tie Pasta Salad through eight servings in 33 minutes. Grape tomatoes, orange bell pepper, zucchini, yellow squash, black olives, red onion, and parsley fill the vegetable-heavy bowl. Olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, Italian seasoning, honey, Dijon, salt, and pepper form the dressing, with the onion softening in part of it first. Reserve some vinaigrette and toss it through the salad just before placing the bowl beside grilled mains.
Get the Recipe: Summer Bow Tie Pasta Salad