Recipes Salad Pasta Salad 16 Make-Ahead Pasta Salads for Lunch By Vicky McDonald Vicky McDonald Vicky McDonald is a Seattle-based editor with over 15 years of experience in the media industry. She currently works as an editor for ParentMap.com. Prior to that, she was a senior content manager at Allrecipes. She loves baking, developing new recipes, and growing vegetables. Allrecipes' editorial guidelines Published on April 9, 2021 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: The Sporadic Cook These scrumptious pasta salads are filling and delicious. You can make these pasta salads ahead of time, so that all the flavors develop and mingle together. The best part: Pasta salad is leftover-friendly! Have extra noodles from tonight's dinner? No problem, toss in some colorful veggies with an Italian dressing and you've got tomorrow's lunch. So, whether you're planning a picnic or your meal prep needs sprucing up, these easy pasta salad recipes are crazy convenient. 01 of 16 Greek Orzo Salad View Recipe Photo by Dianne. Rave Review: "This was very tasty, colorful and pleasing to the palate. It was even better several hours later as the ingredients melded together and had some time to chill." — Momma Mophead Find More: 13 Orzo Pasta Salad Recipes 02 of 16 Mediterranean Salmon Pasta Salad View Recipe Kim's Cooking Now Cooked salmon, colorful veggies, penne pasta, and a homemade vinaigrette create a satisfying and nutritious make-ahead lunch. You Might Like: Spicy Salmon Sandwiches 03 of 16 Sesame Pasta Chicken Salad View Recipe chibi chef Rave Review: "I've made this countless time and love how light and yummy it is!" —rkrage1217 Related: Sesame Noodles 04 of 16 Easy Asian Pasta Salad View Recipe lutzflcat A change of pace from your average pasta salad rotation. Try this Asian-inspired dish that gets better the longer it sits! Try This: Shanghai Noodle Salad 05 of 16 Italian Confetti Pasta Salad View Recipe cookingbug Rave Review: "I brought this recipe to a potluck at work and it was a hit. Easy and fresh." —LINKELLEHER Related: 15 Best Macaroni Salad Recipes 06 of 16 Avocado Cucumber Pasta Salad View Recipe A colorful lunch option that can be customized with any types of veggies or pasta shapes. You Might Like: Avocado Pasta Salad 07 of 16 Cheese Tortellini Salad View Recipe Kim's Cooking Now Rave Review: "Easiest salad ever and I receive so many compliments every time." —DanaLane Related: Tortellini Salad with Tomatoes and Peas 08 of 16 Rainbow Pasta Salad View Recipe A 5-ingredient pasta salad dish that will feed you for days and is ultra affordable! Make ahead of time and let the flavors marry together overnight. Find More: 12 Summer Pasta Salads with Bold Flavor 09 of 16 Bacon-Ranch Pasta Salad View Recipe Melissa Goff Rave Review: "Love this salad! I always use grape tomatoes in this. Great make-ahead side dish. Delicious!" —maryb Check it Out: BLT Pasta Salad 10 of 16 Broccoli Pasta Salad View Recipe A linguine pasta salad with fibrous broccoli florets, Romano cheese and an olive oil-based dressing. Related: Creamy Broccoli Salad 11 of 16 Awesome Pasta Salad View Recipe The Sporadic Cook Rave Review: "This is the best pasta salad I've ever had. Made as written, or adjusted to your own preferences, you just can't go wrong with this recipe." —Lori Check it Out: 11 Creamy Pasta Salads for Summer 12 of 16 Mediterranean Pasta Salad View Recipe Christina Crumbled feta cheese and tangy lemon juice take this dish from good to great. Similar: Pasta Pearls and Olive Salad 13 of 16 Quick Greek Pasta Salad with Steak View Recipe Photo by Sherri. Rave Review: "This was amazing--I was nervous about using sun-dried tomato pesto (we've never tried it) but it gave such a rich depth to the steak." —GRANNYLOOHOO Try This: Good for You Greek Salad 14 of 16 Mexicali Pasta Salad View Recipe A delicious pasta salad recipe that is coated with a taco-seasoning and lime juice dressing. This is one for the books! Related: Cowboy Caviar 15 of 16 Mandarin Chicken Pasta Salad View Recipe abapplez Rave Review: "Absolutely fantastic. I can't stop eating it! The dressing is phenomenal." —Aly Similar: Strawberry and Mandarin Salad 16 of 16 Spaghetti Salad View Recipe Sheila LaLonde Leftover spaghetti noodles from dinner? Wait for them to cool, toss in some fresh veggies, and coat with zesty dressing. Refrigerate overnight and you've got tomorrow's lunch! Similar: Rustic Spaghetti Salad Find more pasta salad recipes here Updated by Emily Boyette Emily Boyette Emily Boyette is a highly qualified editor within the food media industry with eight-plus years of experience. From galleries and listicles to recipe manuscripts and articles, her knowledge of cooking goes beyond text. Emily is a writer for Allrecipes. Learn about our editorial guidelines Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit