Loaded Pasta Salad has everything! Rotini gets tossed with bacon, turkey, ham, cheddar, tomatoes, pickles, onions, and more. It’s all coated in a creamy, tangy dressing made with bold ingredients like parmesan and pickle juice.
Loaded Pasta Salad
Even though the seasonal section of HomeGoods will have you thinking otherwise, it’s still pasta salad season! While the temperature is still well over 80°F outside, you can bet I’ll be tossing together all of my favorite warm-weather recipes like this loaded pasta salad. And when I say loaded, I’m not exaggerating. I’ve got two deli meats (and bacon) with fresh veggies, cheese, and salty pops of flavor from pickles and pepperoncini. Make this pasta salad recipe for lunch or your next potluck, and watch it disappear!
Need more pasta salad recipes to impress your guests with? Check out easy recipes like ranch tortellini salad, cashew chicken pasta salad, or roasted asparagus pasta salad.
Can I make it ahead of time?
Sure thing! Once everything is tossed with the dressing, it’s best to serve within 24 hours so the veggies stay crisp. So, either store the dressing and pasta salad in two separate containers until ready to serve, or be sure to serve the assembled pasta salad within 1 day.
How to Make Loaded Pasta Salad
- Cook the pasta. Cook the rotini in salted water according to the package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water.
- Toss. Add the pasta, bacon, turkey, ham, cheese, tomatoes, pickles, olives, cucumber, pepperoncini, and red onion to a large bowl and toss to combine.
- Make the dressing. Whisk together dressing ingredients in a separate bowl or shake in a sealed jar until smooth.
- Toss again. Pour the dressing over the pasta and toss until everything is evenly coated.
- Enjoy! Garnish with additional bacon, sliced pepperoncinis, and fresh basil.
Storing
Once everything is tossed together, you can store loaded pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Just keep in mind that everything is best within that initial 24 hour window. The longer it sits in the fridge, the softer all the veggies will get.
Ingredient Notes
For the salad:
- Rotini – Rinse the pasta really well with cold water. This stops the cooking process and cools the noodles quickly so the cheese and vegetables don’t get warm when you mix everything together.
- Bacon – I like to cook mine extra crispy (not burned, but close), that way it stays crunchy when tossed with the dressing.
- Deli Meats – I like to use both turkey and ham. You can use one or the other if you’d like. I find that using both helps create more of the “loaded” effect with varying flavors.
- Cheddar Cheese – Sharp cheddar cheese will help it stand out more against all of the other crazy bold ingredients. A milder cheese won’t create the same impact.
- Cherry Tomatoes – Grape tomatoes also work fine. Just make sure they’re all sliced in half.
- Dill Pickles – Feel like having some fun? Use spicy dill pickles.
- Black Olives – Make sure these (as well as the pickles) are drained VERY well so you’re not adding extra liquid to the salad. You don’t want it to be watery.
- Cucumber – I like to use English cucumbers since they have thinner skin and less seeds.
- Pepperoncini Peppers – These add a mild salty flavor, not a spicy one.
- Red Onion – I don’t recommend using any other type of onion. A red one has the boldest flavor.
For the dressing:
- Mayonnaise – This is the base of the dressing. You can use a low-fat mayo if preferred, but it won’t have the same consistency and may even make a watery dressing.
- Parmesan Cheese – For the best texture and flavor, grate this fresh off the block.
- Dill Pickle Juice – If you want to double down on the pickle flavor, feel free to add a sprinkle of fresh or dried dill in there along with the juice.
- Dijon Mustard – Do NOT swap this with plain yellow mustard.
- Pepperoncini Juice – This, combined with the pickle juice, really drives that tangy flavor home in the best possible way.
- Seasonings – Keeping it simple with garlic powder and black pepper works for me. I do NOT recommend adding salt! There’s already enough salt from the pickles and pepperoncinis.
Enjoy!
~Nichole
Loaded Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Rotini pasta
- 10 Slices Bacon cooked crisp and chopped
- 8 Ounces Deli turkey chopped
- 8 Ounces Deli ham chopped
- 2 Cups Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 10 Ounces Cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 Cup Dill pickles chopped
- 1 6oz Can Sliced black olives drained
- 1 Medium cucumber cut in half lengthwise then sliced into pieces
- 1/2 Cup Sliced pepperoncini peppers
- 1/2 Medium red onion thinly sliced
Dressing:
- 1 Cup Mayonnaise
- 1/2 Cup Grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 Cup Dill pickle juice
- 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsp Pepperoncini juice
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the rotini in well-salted water according to the package directions until al dente, then drain and rinse under cold water until completely cooled.
- Add the drained pasta, bacon, turkey, ham, cheese, tomatoes, pickles, olives, cucumber, pepperoncini, and red onion to a large mixing bowl and toss to combine.
- Whisk together dressing ingredients in a separate bowl or shake in a sealed jar until smooth.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta and toss until everything is evenly coated.
- Garnish with additional bacon, sliced pepperoncinis, and fresh basil if desired.
Notes
This loaded pasta salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
