Healthy Recipes Salad Healthy Pasta Salad Recipes Our 14 Best Pasta Salads to Make This Spring By Dillon Evans Dillon Evans Dillon Evans fell in love with cooking at a very young age. He remembers the novel experiences of microwaving a bowl of oatmeal without his parents' permission and asking to make his mother's morning pot of coffee. These moments became catalysts for his interest in cooking and baking. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on April 28, 2024 Close Enjoy one of these bright and delicious pasta salads this spring. This collection features some of the creamy and tangy pasta salad dishes that EatingWell readers have been visiting the most. Not to mention, they’ve each earned four- and five-star reviews, so we’re sure you’ll love every bite. Get in a variety of seasonal ingredients in recipes like our Shrimp Pasta Salad and Broccoli & Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad. 01 of 14 Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad This scrumptious and healthy salad combines elements of Caesar salad, pasta salad and chicken salad for an easy weeknight dinner that comes together in less than 30 minutes (and most of the prep can be done ahead). Use your blender to whip together the tangy buttermilk-based dressing, which would also be great on a salmon or chickpea salad. View Recipe 02 of 14 Broccoli & Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad We've loaded this healthy pasta salad with vegetables and bright flavors. Sun-dried tomatoes and a touch of lemon zest jazz up the dressing, while tender-crisp broccoli florets cook alongside the pasta, making assembly (and cleanup!) a breeze. View Recipe 03 of 14 Shrimp Pasta Salad This fresh and bright cold shrimp pasta salad features classic shrimp scampi flavors. Farfalle pasta works well, but any medium pasta shape will work. View Recipe 04 of 14 Vegan Macaroni Salad You don't have to be vegan to enjoy this vegan macaroni salad! The colorful array of veggies give it texture and flavor and help make it lighter than traditional pasta salads. It's perfect to bring along to your next picnic or potluck. View Recipe 05 of 14 Cashew, Chickpea & Pasta Salad with Cilantro-Mint-Shallot Vinaigrette Sara Haas In our humble opinion, the dressing makes this salad. Tangy and zesty with a bit of a crunch from the shallots, this cilantro-mint-shallot vinaigrette will quickly become your go-to. Make the dressing and chop up the veggies while you wait for the pasta to cook, then mix everything and enjoy! View Recipe 06 of 14 Walnut Pesto Pasta Salad This cold pesto pasta salad will cool you off on a summer day. Fresh tomatoes and roasted red peppers add a pop of bright color and juiciness here, but any of your favorite pasta-salad veggies, like blanched broccoli and fresh bell peppers, would be delicious too. View Recipe 07 of 14 Chicken Caprese Pasta Salad Bowls Pasta salad is a classic summer side dish, but adding protein (leftover grilled chicken is perfect here) and extra greens makes it a super-satisfying lunch. We use baby spinach, but arugula or baby kale works too. Top with a bright and tangy basil vinaigrette just before serving. The great news is that these easy meal-prep lunches take just 20 minutes to prepare—that's 4 days of lunches in less than 30 minutes. View Recipe 08 of 14 Pasta, Tuna & Roasted Pepper Salad The secret to this delicious pasta salad is a creamy low-fat dressing made with bottled roasted red peppers. If you have cooked chicken on hand, you can substitute it for the tuna. View Recipe 09 of 14 Pasta Salad with Arugula-Lemon Pesto If you want proof that school gardens help create sophisticated and adventurous eaters, look no further. Just say "arugula-lemon pesto" to yourself and marvel that the origin of this pasta salad recipe is a cookbook that is an offshoot of school garden programs in Vermont. Recipe adapted from VT Feed. View Recipe 10 of 14 Pesto Pasta Salad A creamy pesto sauce turns this simple pasta salad into a delightful dinner. Adding broccoli to the pasta cooking water just before the pasta is done is a convenient way to briefly cook it so that it turns a vivid shade of green and softens slightly. View Recipe 11 of 14 Orzo Salad with Chickpeas & Artichoke Hearts Photography / Fred Hardy, Styling / Kady Wohlfarth / Kay Clarke This hearty orzo salad features feta, lemon and dill, three ingredients often found in Greek cuisine. Enjoy for lunch or dinner. View Recipe 12 of 14 Pasta Salad with Vinaigrette Lunchbox Diana Chistruga Pasta salad is a great take-along lunch with tons of opportunity to make it your own. Want to make it vegetarian? Pack olives in place of salami. Don't love peppers? Try tomatoes instead! Be sure that you pack at least one container big enough to hold everything together once it's mixed (about 1 1/2 cups). View Recipe 13 of 14 Whole-Grain Orzo & Grilled Vegetable Salad This lovely Mediterranean orzo salad is rich with basil, grilled vegetables and tender fresh mozzarella cheese. The combination of vegetables, vinaigrette and fresh basil is a perfect base for the orzo and the cheese. View Recipe 14 of 14 Broccoli, Ham & Pasta Salad A great make-ahead entree, this lightened-up pasta salad is loaded with broccoli and peppers. Smoky ham and sweet raisins give it plenty of punch. Enjoy the leftovers for a fuss-free lunch. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit