Tri-Color Pasta Salad {My Favorite Pasta Salad}
Simple to prepare, this tri-color pasta salad is the best ever! The creamy dressing, with a hint of pesto, is so flavorful and delicious!
Of all the pasta salads I’ve loved in my life (hint: I’ve loved a lot), this tri-color pasta salad is at the tippy tippy top of the ones I can’t live without.
I’ve been making it for years, after my Aunt Marilyn passed it on to me over years and years ago, and it is still a huge family favorite.
In fact, I can easily say this pasta salad has appeared at more potlucks, BBQ’s, easy Friday night dinners, and family gatherings than I can even count.
It is a little bit classic, a little bit unique, and a lot yummy.
If you’ve made it, you know the fresh basil and little kick of pesto take it from average to extraordinary. And don’t even get me started on the pine nuts.
They are everything. (But don’t worry, I’ve offered a substitution in the notes of the recipe if you are allergic or opposed to paying an arm or a leg for them.)
I am also a little proud of myself for not spending the entirety of the post just on the looks of this pasta salad (I didn’t want to appear shallow).
It is pretty, no doubt about it, and we all know looks definitely get you part of the way there in terms of rock star points.
But the real clincher is how wonderfully delicious it is. And the fact that it comes together quickly and painlessly is simply just another pasta salad bonus.
I don’t know about you but I kind of like pasta salad bonuses.
If you’re looking for the perfect pasta salad for your Labor Day shenanigans, this is the one.
I guarantee this tried-and-true tri-color pasta salad recipe will be the hit wherever you take it (even if you just stick around home and dig right into the bowl with a fork).
Have you perused my list of Best Recipes yet? A recipe has to be pretty darn amazing to make the cut.
Think of the Best Recipes section as a a one-stop guide to the best of the best recipes so you don’t have to spend hours searching for the perfect “insert recipe you want here.”
This salad easily makes it onto the Best Side Dishes list. Easily.
FAQs for Tri-Color Pasta Salad
I like Breanne’s or Newman’s Own.
If you make it the day before, I would reserve some dressing or have extra to mix before serving as it tends to be a bit dry on the 2nd day.
Tri-Color Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 12-ounce package tri-color rotini pasta, cooked and drained
- ⅔ cup creamy Caesar dressing
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 roma tomatoes, diced
- 1 (6-ounce) can black olives, drained and chopped
- ¼ cup finely diced red onion, or green onions
- ¾ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 6-10 fresh basil leaves, cut into strips or torn into pieces, plus more for garnish, if desired
- ¼ cup basil pesto
- ½ to 1 cup toasted pine nuts, optional – see note for substitutions
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water according to package directions. Drain and coat with the Caesar dressing while still warm.
- Add the rest of the ingredients, except for the pine nuts and extra basil. Toss well to combine. Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve (4-8 hours). If the pasta salad seems dry after refrigerating, add a little more Caesar dressing and stir to combine. Before serving, top with pine nuts and fresh basil, if desired.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from my Aunt Marilyn
I am definitely going to try this after reading many 5 star reviews! But, I’ve made pasta salad SO many times in the past 25 years, & I’ve always rinsed the drained pasta with cold water, then refrigerate, then add dressing about 30 min before serving. But for your recipe, there is no rinsing the cooked/drained pasta with cold water?
You can definitely try that method with this recipe!
This is no ho-hum pasta salad. The flavors are SO good!
I make this often, and it’s really versatile. I took your recommendation and used sunflower seeds because we were out of pine nuts. So good! I will often grill up some chicken and serve it all as a meal with your focaccia bread. Perfect for summer!
Made this salad for labor day and a hit – It tops with 2 other pasta salads that are family favorites – thanks for sharing – I will be making this again!!
I’ve been following your website for years and I want to thank you for your bright friendly words and yummy recipes. I plan to make this Tri-Colored Pasta over the Labor Day weekend.
I wonder if you have a delicious shrimp salad recipe you could post sometime.
Thank you so much, Susie! I don’t have a shrimp salad recipe – sorry about that!
Amazing!!!!! Everyone that I have invited over for bbq’s wants this recipe!
Plus kids want it for school lunches.
Thanks Mel’s kitchen for an all time favorite recipe 🙂
Would this be ok without the pesto?
The salad will have a different flavor, but it would probably be ok without.
Wow, this was so yummy! I usually make your Italian Pasta Salad but had some pesto in the fridge so decided to give this one a try. I think this might be my new favorite pasta salad!
This has become my “go to ” salad! Funeral luncheons, BBQ’s…..anywhere!
LOVE IT!
what is the serving size
About 1/8 of the recipe – I haven’t calculated it in cups.
This is wonderful! We’ve made it a couple times and it’s been a big hit. We added chickpeas to bulk it up and used sunflower seeds and it was delicious and so easy to make! Thanks for a great recipe.
Quick question I’m making a double recipe of this for a bridal shower. I’ll need to make it the night before for timing and set up in the morning. If I make it Friday later evening and need to serve on Saturday at 1 how should I do the dressing? I get so nervous about this stuff and dressings l scare me lol thanks! Rhonda
Hi Rhonda, if making it ahead of time, leave off the Parmesan cheese and pine nuts and just make as directed. Then the next day before serving, stir in the Parmesan cheese, pine nuts and a bit more dressing to loosen it up.
This was delicious. We recently had a heat wave in California and I wanted to make something cool that didn’t need lots of kitchen time. This recipe was perfect. I made it according to the recipe except I substituted Kalamata olives for the black olives and I added some cooked chicken. The family loved it. This one is a keeper.
Looks like a wonderful salad! If I would like to make it for 40-50 people, how would I adjust the recipe? Many Thanks!
I would 5X the recipe to feed that amount. Good luck!
Awesome salad, was looking for something different to take to a Mother Day lunch and came across this recipe and what a winner it was. The grand-kids loved it and there were no left overs. Will certainly make again and pass the recipe on to friends and family members.
Your salad looks and sounds delicious! I’m planning to make it this weekend but I can’t seem to find Briannas Creamy Caesar dressing. Do you think the Briannas Asiago Caesar dressing will work?
That sounds delicious!
Excellent
Super yummy salad. I have made it several times. I now have to double it because my husband and sons fight over it!
Very Good. Will be making this again. If anyone is wondering the pine nuts make this salad addictive, worth the cost (IMO)
This is the best and only pasta salad I will ever make! The dressing is perfect for me as I don’t care for strong vinegar dressings. Everyone I’ve made it for loves it!
Best recipe ever!! I sampled all along the way and this recipe tasted great at each stage, love it!
I used marzetti creamy ceasar (low cal, simply 60), very light in flavor but adding the pesto was perfect!
Even bought a basil plant out of this recipe – only $1 more than the “fresh” in container!
Thanks for the recipe. It came out excellent. I also added diced ham.