12 Summer Pasta Salads with Bold Flavor

Thai Rice Noodle Salad
Photo: Buckwheat Queen

Pasta salad is on the menu in a big way this summer. Not content with mere side dish status, the best pasta salads are busting out main-dish moves with bold tastes and textures. Take a look at some of our favorite main dish pasta salad recipes to make this summer.

01 of 12

Mandarin Chicken Pasta Salad

Mandarin Chicken Pasta Salad
abapplez

Juicy mandarin oranges, crisp and colorful raw vegetables and leafy spinach are tossed with cooked pasta and leftover chicken in a ginger-kissed rice vinegar dressing. If you use the liquid from the canned mandarin oranges when you whisk up the dressing, you can reduce or omit the added sugar. "A wonderful summer salad!" reviewer Rhonda Jay says. "A light and healthy salad [that] stands on its own without the need for anything else on the side."

02 of 12

Greek Pasta Salad

Greek Pasta Salad I
Allrecipes Magazine

Fresh tomatoes, mushrooms, and sweet bell peppers mix it up with sharp, salty feta cheese, olives, and pepperoni, while a homemade vinaigrette loaded with Mediterranean herbs brings it all together. You'll want to make the salad a day ahead so the flavors can get to know each other better. "The first time I made it was for a block party, and after tasting it, my husband wanted me to make something else to take so he could have this all for himself," says reviewer CMACINTYRE.

03 of 12

Pesto Pasta Caprese Salad

Pesto Pasta Caprese Salad
Buckwheat Queen

In this Italian pasta salad, you get two big hits of basil's pungent green flavor when fresh basil, tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese are tossed with a zesty basil pesto sauce. "Super tasty, and very healthy," says Alaniwhat. She used gluten-free rotini, and says it was a huge hit.

04 of 12

Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
Melissa Goff

A generous helping of crispy, smoky bacon is what sets this salad apart from others that just sprinkle it on a bit. Cool and creamy ranch dressing pulls the rest of the ingredients together for a BLT pasta salad that's definitely not for timid taste buds.

05 of 12

Awesome Pasta Salad

A tricolor fusilli pasta salad with sliced black olives and chopped salami on a white plate
The Sporadic Cook

This is the easy pasta salad recipe everyone makes their own. They add this, tweak that, and pretty soon they've created a signature salad their friends beg them to bring. What will you add?

06 of 12

Pomelo Salad with Rice Vermicelli

a white bowl filled with a colorful salad, with half a pomelo in the background
Kim's Cooking Now

The combination of pomelo and noodles may not seem like a natural pair, but this refreshing pasta salad will convince you otherwise. The flavors of Thai sweet chili sauce, sugar, rice vinegar, fish sauce, and cilantro come together seamlessly.

07 of 12

Fruity Pasta Salad with Herbs

Fruity Pasta Salad with Herbs
lutzflcat

"Loaded with fresh fruit and herbs, this creamy, pleasantly sweet pasta salad will become one of your favorite summer recipes," writes home cook lutzflcat, who submitted the recipe.

08 of 12

Chicken Noodle Salad

Chicken Noodle Salad
Chef John

"Get ready to make all sorts of friends when you bring a big bowl of this Asian chicken noodle salad to the next big cookout," Chef John says. "The only folks you might scare away are the ones who brought regular pasta salads. There's just something delightfully addictive about this special combination of cold and spicy. This recipe is the perfect catchall for all those summer vegetables we're supposed to be eating more of, as well as any dry leftover chicken you have around."

09 of 12

Chickpea-on-Chickpea Pasta Salad

Chickpea-on-Chickpea Pasta Salad
Buckwheat Queen

Chickpea fusilli joins forces with marinated vegetables and cheese. Pesto, made with fresh herbs, packs an extra punch of flavor.

10 of 12

Thai Rice Noodle Salad

Thai Rice Noodle Salad
Buckwheat Queen

"This is very delicious!" Allrecipes All-star Buckwheat Queen says. "With these noodle bowls, the real clincher is the sauce and this one is quite good. I cut the sugar by 75 percent because I don't like things that are sweet. It worked perfectly."

11 of 12

Soba Noodle Salad with Chicken and Sesame

Soba Noodle Salad with Chicken and Sesame
Buckwheat Queen

"This is exactly the sort of healthy dinner or lunch you want when it's hot," reviewer barngurl says. "It's super delicious filling and fantastic! I've made this a handful of times and keep the dressing recipe the same bit adjust vegetables per what I have."

12 of 12

Fiesta Pasta Salad with Dill Pickles

Fiesta Pasta Salad with Dill Pickles
lutzflcat

Minced dill pickles and sweet pickle relish bring a notable tang to this colorful pasta salad. Celery and radishes add crunch.

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