Easy Pasta Salad Recipe Builder

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Pasta salad is a great side dish, snack, or lunch option and it can be made well using ingredients that you have in your pantry! The hard part of building the perfect one is knowing what you can and should put into it and how much. Our Pasta Salad Recipe Builder will help you figure out exactly how to make your perfect pasta salad!

Check out our Home Cook Essentials Guide if you need to stock your pantry and want some suggestions on how to do it!

How to make the ultimate pasta salad!

First step: 1 Pound of Pasta

What type of pasta should I use in pasta salad?

You can use most types of pasta for pasta salad. We don’t recommend thin or long noodles though. Any short, round pasta such as elbow, ziti, and farfalle are our families favorites but it’s up to you!

Can pasta salad be gluten-free?

This is dependent on your taste and the type of gluten-free pasta you use. My family doesn’t like the flavor of gluten-free pasta and I have found that it doesn’t hold up for a long period of time in the refrigerator.

An alternative to pasta in this recipe builder is kidney beans. You could turn this pasta salad into a cold bean salad if you put about one pound of cooked and cooled kidney beans in the place of the pasta.

How to make pasta for pasta salad:

Cook 1 pound of the pasta of your choice to al dente according to the package directions. Make sure you salt the water while your pasta is cooking! You cook pasta for pasta salad to al dente so that it doesn’t become too soggy and falls apart when it sits in the dressing.

When the pasta is done, drain it thoroughly and let it cool before adding it to the bowl for the pasta salad. It’s best not to rinse the pasta so that the starch on the pasta stays and helps the dressing to adhere better!

Second Step:  1 Cup of Diced Vegetables

The vegetables you choose to have in your pasta salad are a matter of taste and availability. I had onions and canned tomatoes, so I did half a cup of each. Some suggestions for vegetable pairings, if you want to do more than one type of vegetable, are:

• Peppers and tomatoes
• Tomatoes and cucumbers
• Carrots and broccoli
• Broccoli and peppers

There are many combinations that you can try and you don’t need to stick to raw vegetables! You can use pickled or grilled vegetables that have cooled as well. If you use pickled vegetables you may need to choose a milder dressing because of the salt and vinegar content!

Third Step: 1 Cup of Meat

You can use cured meat, deli meat, or grilled meat! If you don’t want meat you can use beans instead. We had pepperoni on hand so that is what I used this time. You’ll want your meat to be cut close in size to the vegetables so that it’s easier to eat.

Fourth Step: 1 Cup of Cheese

You can have cubed, shredded, or crumbled cheese in pasta salad. I’ve had all three kinds and enjoyed each one. Options include mozzarella, cheddar, feta, blue cheese, and queso fresco to name a few.

Fifth Step: 1 – 1 ½ Cups of Salad Dressing

You can use a creamy dressing or a vinaigrette for this. My choice is usually Italian salad dressing that I make using our bulk homemade Italian dressing mix. Mediterranean, tzatziki, and ranch are all excellent options for this. I recommend starting with 1 cup of dressing, mixing it and then placing it in the fridge for at least one hour. You can add the additional half cup of dressing after that if you want to.

Assembly and Serving:

When you’ve placed all of the ingredients in a bowl, toss it with the salad dressing and let it sit covered in the fridge for 1-4 hours. Before serving it, take it out of the fridge and stir it well. Taste it and adjust seasonings as needed. This may be adding salt, pepper, or additional dressing to suit your preferences. This pasta salad tastes great the next day but it is best served within 4-6 hours of assembly.

Let us know what you think of this pasta salad and what combinations you enjoy!

Ultimate Pasta Salad Recipe Formula

This recipe formula helps you to create the perfect pasta salad using the ingredients that you have in your pantry!

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Chill time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Servings 14 servings

Ingredients

  

• 1 pound of pasta your choice, but short and round are best
• 1 cup diced vegetables you can use only one type of vegetable or multiple
• 1 cup of meat cut to the size of the vegetables
• 1 cup of cheese
• 1 - 1 1/2 cups of dressing

Instructions

 

• Cook 1 pound of the pasta of your choice to al dente according to the package directions. Make sure you salt the water while your pasta is cooking
• When the pasta is done, drain it thoroughly and let it cool before adding it to the bowl for the pasta salad.
• In a bowl, combine the pasta with your vegetables, cheese, and meat.
• Add 1 cup of the salad dressing, stir, and place in the fridge for at least one hour.
• After an hour, stir and taste the pasta salad. Add salt and pepper to taste and add up to 1/2 cup more of salad dressing.
• Best served chilled 1-4 hours after assembly.

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