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This easy bow tie pasta salad recipe is quick and pleases everyone! It’s perfect for potlucks, picnics or as a side dish to any weeknight meal.
A quick and easy recipe that is budget-friendly and takes less than 20 minutes to make that the entire family will love!
Bow Tie Pasta Salad Recipe
In my family, we are all pasta lovers. From Lasagna to Meatball Stroganoff, we love all things pasta! And with a family of 5, it can be difficult to find something that everyone will like. This recipe has a little something for everyone and has earned its place on our picnic table and Memorial Day get-togethers.
(Want something a little lighter? Try my Spaghetti Salad!)
Ingredients
For the salad, you’ll need:
- bow tie pasta – you can use any kind of noodle for this recipe, but bow tie is a little more fun 🙂
- cheddar cheese – cubed. Trust me. These are little bites of heaven.
- cooked ham – you can use leftover ham from Easter or buy a ham steak from the store.
- purple onion – dice it up!
- frozen peas – easy and a little bite of flavor!
For the dressing, you’ll need:
- mayonnaise
- sweet relish
- granulated sugar
- white vinegar
- salt
- black pepper
How To Make Bow Tie Pasta
Step 1: Cook your pasta.
Boil the pasta according to the package directions, until al dente. Drain.
Step 2: Make your dressing.
While your pasta is cooking, mix all of your dressing ingredients together in a bowl. Cover, and refrigerate.
Step 3: Assemble your ingredients.
Combine your cooked noodles, dressing and salad ingredients in a bowl and toss to mix.
Step 4: Serve and enjoy!
Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.
Tips and Variations
Change up this recipe with your favorite meats and cheeses. Pepperoni and mozzarella. Feta and ham. Gouda and salami. Whatever you like!
This salad can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days or in the freeze for up to 3 months.
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Bow Tie Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tbsp sweet relish
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Salad
- 1 lb bow tie pasta
- 8 oz cheddar cheese diced
- 1 cup fully-cooked ham diced
- 1/2 small purple onion finely diced
- 1/2 cup frozen peas thawed
Instructions
Directions
- Boil the pasta according to the package directions, until al dente. Drain.
- Boil the pasta according to the package directions, until al dente. Drain.
- In a large mixing bowl, toss together all of the ingredients with the dressing. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.
I just made this pasta recipe. I did change a few things to my liking. I added a 1/4 cup of Cesar dressing in addition to the 1 cup mayo. I also used some fried turkey bacon instead of ham only because I don’t eat pork. I also used apple cider vinegar instead of the white vinegar. It tastes very good.
This is a great recipe my wife really really enjoyed it.
This is a quick, easy recipe. I had leftover bow tie pasta to use, and this looked liked an easy recipe. Substituted peppers for the peas.
I love that this recipe is so easily adaptable to what you have on hand!