As much as we love macaroni salad, we can't survive on pasta salad alone. Here are sumptuous side dishes to serve with pasta salad at your next neighborhood party!
Summertime is all about the cold pasta salads. And why not, It's the season of family reunions, backyard bbqs and potlucks for days! No matter what the main dish is, I can guarantee there will be a pasta salad on the spread.
There are so many fun things to make with pasta. Amish pasta salad is a creamy pasta salad with a sweet dressing that is always a crowd pleaser. And this caprese style orzo salad with pesto has juicy cherry tomatoes and spinach to make it just a little bit healthier.
Cooking in the summertime means keeping things simple and often, portable.
Trust me, portable food is my love language, so I'm excited to share some recipes to serve with your favorite pasta salad recipes.
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Grilled Protein
This is a main course no-brainer, right? Everyone is sitting in the backyard, milling around, so it makes sense that we're gonna grill some meat. Of course, the standards that come to mind are grilled burgers and grilled hot dogs.
Or, mix things up with some kielbasa sandwiches or grilled Italian sausages.
Honey mustard grilled chicken, grilled chicken tenders for the kids, turkey burgers and juicy grilled pork chops are all delicious to serve alongside pasta salad, too!
Feeling adventurous? How about some grilled shrimp kabobs or even some grilled tofu? I didn't realize how passionate I was about protein, but here we are....
No matter what type of meat you're serving, make it seasoned, tasty, and cooked to perfection.
Sandwiches
Turkey pesto panini can be made ahead of time and served at room temperature and they're delicious!
Also consider making slider sandwiches like roast beef sliders, baked Italian sliders, or chicken bacon ranch sliders. You can find all sorts of pull apart slider sandwiches to serve along with your pasta salad.
If finger sandwiches are more your style, you'll want to check out pinwheel sandwiches which are perfectly bite sized.
Fresh Salad
Ohhh, we're supposed to serve something besides pasta salads? Alrighty then!
Go basic with a fresh garden salad with a healthy ranch dressing. Add some fresh tomatoes, chopped cucumber and some grated carrot for the perfect side salad.
Or you can go a bit more exotic with a Mexican chopped salad which would be the perfect dish to go along with a taco pasta salad!
If you're making Italian or Greek chicken on the grill, go with this Mediterranean chopped salad. No matter what route you go, there's a tasty bite for everyone.
Grilled Vegetables
It's easy to get bogged down by delicious potato salads, so how about adding some grilled veggies to the party?
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If you like to follow a recipe, Mediterranean roasted veggies can be made on the grill instead of the oven.
For you free spirits, you can grill just about anything - red onions, zucchini, squash, tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, bell peppers...you get the idea.
Oh, don't forget fresh asparagus on the grill. Hit it with a little fresh lemon juice and Parmesan cheese and that is heaven.
You could even chop up your grilled asparagus and add it to your pasta salad.
Fruit Salad
Fresh strawberries, blueberries, melon and apple slices pair wonderfully with a Greek yogurt fruit dip and add a nice touch of fresh sweetness.
Mexican fruit salad is a fun addition with brightly colored pineapple, watermelon and lime.
And as a Midwesterner I can't forgot about the quintessential fruit salads like Orange Fluff Jello salad and ambrosia salad with cool whip. They always make an appearance at a cookout..
Or, try making homemade fresh fruit cups to keep things fresh and exciting. Kids (and grownups) love them!
Baked Beans
Not only does every backyard bbq have a pasta salad but it's also gotta have the beans.
Old fashioned baked beans take canned baked beans up a notch. They're surprisingly good with a forkful of pasta salad, you should try it. (thanks Dad!)
And for a more substantial bean, go with meat filled cowboy baked beans or hamburger baked beans. All are plated perfection.
Charcuterie Boards
These meat and cheese boards are very trendy. I like to call them lunchables for grown up!
You can add whatever cured meats, cheese, olives, marinated vegetables or breads you like to make one of these up.
If you like specific ingredients I have a similar make ahead antipasto platter.
No matter what you call them, a board full of meats and cheese are a perfect pairing for pasta salad and go a long way to stretch a meal.
Pasta Salad Sides
No matter what you're serving up this summer, I know it will be delicious! See something I missed? Comment below and let me know what you like to serve with pasta salads!
More Pasta Salad Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are some of my other favorite dishes to serve with pasta salad:
