Pasta Salad with Salmon
on Jul 24, 2025
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This pasta salad with salmon is a fresh, protein-packed meal that's perfect for make-ahead lunches, picnics, or light dinners. Easy, satisfying, and full of flavor.
This is one of those meals that makes you feel like you have your act together — pasta salad with salmon. It’s light but filling, full of bright flavors and fresh ingredients. Whether you’re using leftover cooked salmon, roasting a piece just for this dish, or some high-quality canned salmon, it all works. It’s the kind of salad that feels equally at home on a picnic table or as an on-the-go work lunch. Bonus: it holds up beautifully in the fridge, which is a weeknight win in my book.
This salmon pasta salad includes a creamy cilantro-forward dressing, but you are welcome to use any number of dressings in its place. Try Ranch Dressing, Caesar Dressing, or even a classic vinaigrette.
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What's In This Post?
This would be so nice as a simple lunch, but it’s also a great dish to bring to a potluck or to put out on a buffet.
How to Cook Salmon for Pasta Salad
When it comes to cooking salmon for pasta salad, you’ve got options — and good news: they’re all pretty easy. You can go classic and bake your salmon until it’s just flaky and tender, or broil it if you want that slightly crisp golden top. If your grill is all fired up, grilled salmon adds a nice bit of smoky flavor to the pasta salad.
Or keep it extra gentle and go with poached salmon — super moist, super forgiving, and a great way to make sure your fish doesn’t dry out. Any of these methods will work beautifully — just let the salmon cool a bit, flake it into big chunks, and let it be the protein-packed star of your salad.
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Pasta Salad with Salmon
Ingredients
- 1 pound cavetelli, fusilli, or elbow macaroni pasta
- 4 cups bite-sized cooked salmon pieces (see Note)
For the Cilantro Dressing (optional)
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- ¼ cup minced shallots
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream, or another 1/4 cup mayonnaise)
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream (or half-and-half, or whole milk)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- Fresh cilantro leaves (for garnish)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and salt the water generously. Cook the pasta according to package directions, drain, and rinse with cool water. Flake the salmon into nice bite-sized chunks.
- Make the dressing (see Notes for suggestions). If you are using the Creamy Cilantro Dressing, in a food processor or blender, combine the cilantro leaves, shallots, and Dijon. Puree, add the mayonnaise and yogurt, if using, cream, salt, pepper, and cayenne, and puree. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- In a large bowl, combine the pasta, dressing (whichever one you are choosing), and salmon pieces, and toss gently to combine well. Garnish with additional cilantro leaves, if desired, and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Can’t Get Enough Pasta Salads?
Here are five more pasta salad recipes to try:
