What goes with pasta salad? Serve this versatile dish as a main or a side! You can try it as a side dish for burgers, sandwiches, chicken or fish, or as a main dish for lunch or dinner with other salads, slaws, and more.
Pasta salad is one of our summer staples: it’s so hearty and versatile and can be served in so many ways. But what goes with pasta salad? What pairs perfectly with this crowd-pleasing side dish?
The fun part is this: pasta salad works as either a main dish or a side! Here are a few of the main ideas for what to serve pasta salad:
- Serve it for lunch with veggies and dip, crackers or bread, or fresh fruit
- Serve it as a dinner with other summer salads like bean salad, cucumber salad, or watermelon salad
- Serve it as a side for burgers, sandwiches, chicken, or fish.
As two cookbook authors and recipe experts, Alex and I have made lots of cold pasta salad recipes. Keep reading for all the dishes we like to serve alongside!
What to serve with pasta salad
If you’re serving pasta salad as a side, here’s a great main dish to serve alongside: the Caprese sandwich! This riff on the classic Italian salad from Capri layers the classic ingredients as a sandwich filling, with an irresistibly creamy pesto aioli that adds a pop of savory brightness to each bite.
These grilled veggie kabobs skewer all the best vegetables and are easy to throw on the grill! They’re a great side dish for any summer meal, and work with pasta salad whether it’s a main or a side.
Cucumber salad is ideal for everything from summer potlucks to patio barbecues to picnics, and pairs perfectly with everything from salmon to a grilled burger to pasta salad. The thinly sliced cucumbers and onions are salty, tangy, and lightly sweet all at once, a nice contrast to savory pasta salad.
Grilled chicken is a great main dish to serve with pasta salad! We’ve figured out the trick to an ultra-moist piece of meat that melts in your mouth. Every time we serve it, everyone raves.
What goes with pasta salad? Try a pesto grilled cheese! Adding gives the best garlicky, herby flavor to the gooey melty cheese, making it one irresistible sandwich that’s quick to make.
Bean salad provides a nice tangy contrast to pasta salad: plus it’s packed with plant-based protein so it helps to make a filling meal! Our recipe is a fresh spin and so easy to throw together for picnics and potlucks.
Apple slaw makes a tangy, fresh counterpoint to pasta salad! It pairs cabbage with carrots, apples, and a creamy poppy seed dressing: the perfect fresh, easy side dish!
Sandwiches pair well with pasta salad, so how about this one with salmon and creamy dill sauce! There’s something so satisfying about a good fish sandwich, and why not swap in salmon for the traditional breaded fish? Add a fillet of pan seared or grilled salmon onto a bun, then top with feta crumbles, red onion and creamy, lemony dill sauce.
If you’re serving pasta salad as a lunch idea, it’s perfect with a side of vegetables and ranch dip! All you need are some raw carrots, celery, and broccoli to round out the meal in a fresh and healthy way. This ranch dip is made with Greek yogurt, or you can use hummus as a vegan option!
Salads that pair well with pasta salad are vegetable based salads that are big on veggies, to contrast the pasta and creamy dressing. This lighter spin on the classic broccoli salad is cunchy and savory sweet, it stars broccoli, raisins, and a flavor-popping dressing.
If you need vegetarian main to go with pasta salad, try a veggie burger! There are lots of purchased options available at the grocery, or make it homemade! This veggie burger is easy to grill or pan fry, satisfyingly hearty, and sure to please even the most devoted meat-eaters.
Here’s a great recipe that goes with pasta salad: kale slaw! This colorful mix of fresh veggies is simple to put together and tastes refreshingly sweet tart. It stars hearty kale, crisp apples, sweet carrot, and a zingy maple apple cider vinegar dressing.
Corn salad is a fun recipe to serve with pasta salad for contrasting flavors and textures. This one is all about fresh flavor: sweet bursts of corn, juicy tomatoes, and herbaceous basil pair with a tangy, light vinaigrette.
Fruit skewers are the perfect pairing with pasta salad. This is a simple concept that’s more like an idea than a recipe: but it makes everyone go crazy for pure, fresh fruit. Use whatever fruit you like and if desired, serve with our favorite 3 ingredient fruit dip.
Sandwiches go well with pasta salad, and this one is a fan favorite! It’s basically a vegetarian chicken salad sandwich, or a chickpea tuna salad. Made with smashed chickpeas, crunchy veggies, and a creamy dressing, it’s so tasty that it’s become one of our most popular chickpea recipes ever!
Watermelon salad is a perfect contrast with pasta salad: it’s fresh, juicy, and sweet! This classic combination of sweet juice melon and salty cheese is one of summer’s great pleasures. This summer salad has grown to massive popularity in recent years, and for good reason: it’s beyond delicious, and fast and easy to make,
Pair pasta salad with this loaded hummus dip for a fun and easy meal, either lunch or dinner! Spread hummus on a platter or bowl, then top with cucumber, tomatoes, olives and feta cheese and dip with pita chips or bread.
If you’re planning to serve pasta salad with a few summer salads, this dil potato salad is a great option! Think: tangy potatoes, drenched in a naturally creamy sauce made with olive oil and vinegar, punchy fresh herbs, and savory capers to round it out.
Here’s a great pairing with pasta salad: the chicken pesto sandwich! It stars grilled chicken breast topped with herby basil pesto, fresh mozzarella, and ripe tomatoes, all nestled between two slices of crusty bread.
A strawberry salad with greens is a nice contrast to serve with pasta salad. This one uses our favorite balsamic vinaigrette dressing to accentuate the bright red sweet berries. Paired with red onions and toasted almonds, it’s a simple and delicious side everyone loves!
Pasta salad is perfect with almost any main dish. This baked salmon recipe is our total go-to, from when friends visit to a quick weeknight dinner. You’ll never need another recipe! it’s perfectly seasoned, has a crispy top, and it’s easy to make.
One of our simplest recipes to pair with pasta salad is this easy arugula salad! You don’t even need to make a dressing: just toss the baby arugula leaves with lemon juice, olive oil, and Parmesan shavings. It’s so refreshing! Add sliced apples as another flavor contrast.
What goes with pasta salad? Try vegan lentil sloppy joes! They’re a deliciously filling plant-based dinner made with lentils, tomatoes, and seasonings. The tangy flavor makes them a crowd-pleaser, and they’re a huge hit at our house. Serve on a bun with pickles for the true sloppy joe experience.
Pan seared chicken breast is a great main dish for pasta salad, and this recipe comes out irresistibly seasoned with a golden brown crust and a juicy, tender interior! Here are all our tips and tricks to this family favorite. You can also chop it up and add it to pasta salad to make it more filling!
Grilled shrimp makes an easy meal out of pasta salad. This grilled shrimp is perfectly seasoned and over the top delicious! It’s easy and cooks up in 5 minutes.
A fun pairing with pasta salad is this garbanzo bean salad: it’s protein-packed and bursting with fresh flavors! Simple ingredients and a quick prep time make it an easy and healthy meal prep option.
Cornbread works as a side for pasta salad, and this one is a family favorite! It’s made in a cast iron skillet (though you can use any type of oven-safe skillet that’s on hand). Bake it up and it has just the right thickness, moist crumb, and savory sweetness you want in a great cornbread.
Make a simple meal out of pasta salad by adding grilled salmon! Here’s our tried-and-true easy method that comes out tender with a lightly crisp crust. Even better, it’s sprinkled with our tasty magical seasoning blend. This salmon seasoning tastes so good, you’ll want to put it on everything.
Last up in what to serve with pasta salad, here’s a quick cooking main dish everyone loves: shrimp kabobs! This grilled recipe is a new family favorite: it’s got a custom seasoning blend that makes this juicy seafood taste irresistible! Take them over the top with our creamy Comeback Sauce for the best treat!
Top pasta salad recipes
Alex and I love pasta salad, and we make it often in the summer or for lunches. Here are a few different types of cold pasta salad recipes:
- Classic: This Classic Pasta Salad has a mix of vegetables, cheese, olives, and a zingy vinaigrette.
- Mediterranean: This Mediterranean Pasta Salad and Greek Pasta Salad feature different combinations of fresh veggies, feta cheese, and Mediterranean ingredients.
- Caprese: This Caprese Pasta Salad is simple with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. This Bow Tie Pasta Salad has similar ingredients.
- Dill Pickle: This Dill Pickle Pasta Salad is all about tangy, briny flavor.
- Pesto: Pesto Pasta Salad has a simple creamy pesto dressing.
- Chicken, Shrimp, and Tuna: Try these classics with protein: Chicken Pasta Salad, Shrimp Pasta Salad, and Tuna Pasta Salad.
- Orzo: Make Orzo Pasta Salad with this rice-shaped pasta.
- Tortellini: This Tortellini Salad has tomatoes, artichokes and a zingy dressing.
Description
What goes with pasta salad? This versatile dish can be a main or a side! Serve it as a side dish for burgers, sandwiches, chicken or fish, or as a main dish with salads, slaws, and more. There are so many ways to eat this tasty recipe! This Mediterranean pasta salad recipe is bursting with fresh flavor! Mix up a batch as an easy side dish or quick lunch.
- 8 ounces fusilli pasta
- 1/2 English cucumber, thinly sliced into half moons (2 cups)
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- ¼ cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 can artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
- 1 handful thinly sliced red onion
- 2 cups baby arugula (optional)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, grated (or ½ teaspoon garlic powder)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup feta cheese crumbles (omit for vegan and add more salt)
- Start a large pot of well-salted water to boil. Boil the pasta until al dente according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta and run cool water over it until it’s room temperature.
- Meanwhile, slice the cucumber and tomatoes, chop the sundried tomatoes and artichoke hearts, and slice the onion.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, garlic, Italian seasoning, and kosher salt. Then whisk in the olive oil.
- Once the pasta is done, add it to the large bowl of dressing and toss with the chopped vegetables. Add the feta cheese and fresh ground black pepper and stir to combine.
- Taste and add more salt to taste if necessary. Serve immediately. Stores up to 5 days refrigerated (leftovers taste great; allow to come to room temperature and add a swirl more olive oil or a bit more salt as necessary).
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
