Pasta & Potato Salad Recipes
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I’ve put together pasta and potato salad recipes for you to consider for your next summer event.
Pasta or potato salad is perfect to bring to a family get together, potluck, or barbecue. A summer without pasta or potato salad would be a dull one for me!
Best Potato Salad
This recipe was handing down from grandmother to mother to Heidi at Foodie Crush. Sisters and aunts also adopted this recipe. She uses Yukon gold potatoes, white vinegar, hard-boiled eggs, celery, green onion, Miracle Whip, yellow mustard, celery seed, and salt and pepper. She says the secret sauce is Miracle Whip.
Quick & Easy Pasta Salad
Adam and Joanne from Inspired Taste says this pasta salad is ready in 20 minutes. The key ingredients are pasta, veggies, cheese, olives, Pepperoncini peppers, and herbs. It has a vinaigrette-style dressing.
Southern Potato Salad
This Southern Potato Salad made by Kristin at Yellow Bliss Road has chunks of potato, hard boiled eggs, and pickle relish with a creamy mayo-based dressing.
Loaded Baked Potato Salad
Nicole at Wonky Wonderful created this recipe for Loaded Baked Potato Salad that includes bacon and cheese. She says to feel free to add more sour cream, bacon, cheese or green onions if you wish.
Caprese Pasta Salad
This Caprese Pasta Salad is by Donya at A Southern Soul. It’s made with ripe tomatoes layered between slices of fresh mozzarella, basil leaves, and then drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It’s light, refreshing, and delicious.
Deviled Egg Potato Salad
Michelle at The Gracious Wife created this recipe for Deviled Egg Potato Salad. It consists of potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, mayonnaise, mustard, white vinegar, dill relish, salt and pepper, and dressing. You could customize it with bacon, jalapenos, celery, green onions, sweet onions, hot sauce, or pimentos.
Ranch Pasta Salad
Joy at Build Your Bite made this pasta salad with tri-color rotini, red bell pepper, broccoli, cucumber, and a homemade creamy ranch pasta salad dressing.
Dill Potato Salad
Julie from Julie’s Eats & Treats says this recipe tastes like summer in a bowl with fresh dill in the dressing.
Italian Pasta Salad
Alyssa from The Recipe Critic and author of “The Tried And True Cookbook” made this Italian Pasta Salad. It is made from fresh herbs, crunchy vegetables, al dente pasta, and salty cheeses.
Old-Fashioned Potato Salad
This Old-Fashioned Potato Salad is a summer staple at the home of Jamie who has the blog Love Bakes Good Cakes.
Easy Greek Pasta Salad
Natasha from Salt & Lavender created this Easy Greek Pasta Salad. She says if you’re making this pasta salad a day ahead, add the feta and dressing within a few hours of serving for optimum freshness.
How To Cook Potatoes For Potato Salad:
With potato salads, it’s a little tricky to get the potatoes done just right. If they cook too long, you could potentially end up with mashed potatoes!
Different kinds of potatoes have different levels of starch in them. Yukon gold or red potatoes have less starch in them and hold up better. Whereas russet or Idaho is really starchy. However russet potatoes absorb flavor more easily.
Russet, Yukon Gold, or red potatoes are probably your best bet for potato salad.
Boiling time depends on the size of the cut potatoes. It’s best to chop medium to large potatoes into large chunks before boiling. Then once they’re cooked, chop into bite-size pieces.
It’s important to stay close to the potatoes while they’re cooking to make sure they don’t cook too long. Test every few minutes once the potatoes come to a boil. They will continue cooking with residual heat once you remove them from the water.
Pour into a colander as soon as the potatoes are done cooking. Potato salad can be stored in your refrigerator for up to five days.
How To Cook Pasta For Pasta Salad:
Dried pasta is better to use than fresh pasta when it comes to pasta salad. Avoid long pasta. It’s best to stick with short pasta shapes, like fusilli, farfalle, rotini, and penne. The small size makes them easier to eat.
Flavors in cold dishes often require a little more seasoning. Use salted water while cooking to season the pasta.
Cook the pasta until just past al dente. Remember that pasta hardens and gets chewy as it cools off.
Some say not to run cool water over your cooked pasta. This will wash away starch that helps form a dressing that will cling to the pasta. And other people think that you should rinse the pasta. So rinse or don’t rinse. It’s up to you.
Toss the pasta with about two-thirds of the dressing while it’s still warm. Warm pasta will absorb the dressing easier. Then add the rest of the dressing just before serving.
Pasta & Potato Salad Recipes:
When I think of pasta or potato salad, I think of all American food. Both dishes are usually brought out in the summertime for 4th of July events or other occasions.
I like to add baked beans to add a little extra protein and color. And don’t forget the coleslaw! I love coleslaw.
I love ALL the recipes! Potatoes and pasta salads are my favorite! I’m so glad you found all of these for us! I also love baked beans and coleslaw! And this is the perfect time of year for these delicious dishes. Yum yum yum!
The epitome of summer eating – cold cole slaw, cold potato salad and hot baked beans with a fresh off the grill burger on the side. YUM!
I’m giving these recipes three thumbs up. I prefer salads with pasta and no lettuce. Lettuce and I are not friends!
I am excited about trying quite a few of these recipes.
Thank you finding and sharing, Brenda.
So many good ideas! Potato salad is one of my favorite parts of summer.
All looks yummy!! I love potato salad (and pasta salad too for that matter) and one of my pet peeves these days is that it has been YEARS since I have eaten any potato salad at a restaurant that was worth it. There are so many delicious ways to make it, I mean how can someone ruin that?? Must have to try!! It does take time to make it best…I made one for 13 people for July 4th and it took me about 2 hours. But I chop the veggies I use, very small…and also trying not to get the potatoes totally mushed up…so that takes time.
So many of those recipes sound delicious, and I’m saving several of them. Thank you!