Looking for the ultimate cold pasta salad to serve at your next summer gathering? This Ditalini pasta salad is a crowd pleaser packed with flavor, texture, and just the right amount of crunch. Whether you're prepping for a family cookout, bringing a dish to a potluck, or planning easy lunches for the week, this creamy ditalini pasta recipe checks all the boxes.
You'll love this Ditalini pasta salad
It's easy to make. This is so easy to throw together! The ditalini pasta—a tiny pasta with a tube shape—is that it holds up well in creamy pasta salad and evenly distributes the flavors of the dressing with every bite.
It's inspired by the Portillo's Chopped Salad. If you’ve ever had the famous chopped salad from Portillo’s, you’ll know why this Ditalini pasta salad is so irresistible.
It's the perfect summer side dish. This cold pasta salad is ideal for warm-weather picnics, backyard BBQs, or Sunday meal prep. Since it’s best served cold or at room temperature, it’s super convenient for parties and travel. Just store it in an airtight container in the fridge, and you’re good to go. It keeps well for 3-5 days, making it a smart choice for prepping ahead of time. It'll truly be your new go-to potluck recipe!
Ingredients
Ditalini Pasta. This tiny pasta is traditionally used in soups, but it’s also perfect for pasta salads because it cooks up al dente and soaks up the creamy dressing like a dream. Tender ditalini pasta gives this dish its signature texture, plus I love the pasta size! You can really make the perfect bite every time with a little bit of everything.
Chicken Breast. Lean protein helps turn this salad into a complete meal. Seasoned simply with garlic powder, salt, and pepper, then cooked until golden and juicy.
Bacon. Crispy, smoky bacon adds richness and crunch. You’ll need about 7–10 strips, cooked and chopped into bite-sized pieces. The salty bite pairs beautifully with the tangy dressing.
Grape Tomatoes. Bursting with summer sweetness, halved grape tomatoes add color and juiciness. You can also use cherry tomatoes as a substitution.
Green Onions. These add a mild onion flavor and a pop of green. Slice them thin so they blend easily into the salad.
Red Cabbage. Red cabbage adds a satisfying crunch and a vibrant purple hue. Dice it finely so it doesn’t overpower the ditalini pasta.
Blue Cheese. Crumbled blue cheese delivers a tangy, creamy punch that balances the savory bacon and chicken. Feel free to adjust the amount based on your taste.
Sweet Onion Dressing. A rich, sweet dressing that forms the creamy base of the salad. It helps marry all the other flavors together.
Sweet Italian Dressing. This zesty dressing adds acidity and brightness to balance the richness. Mixing it with the onion dressing creates a flavorful combo.
I love the combination of sweet onion and sweet Italian. It is the perfect dressing combination, in my opinion!
How to make Ditalini pasta salad
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook your ditalini pasta in boiling water for 9-11 minutes.
- Drain and run cold water over the pasta immediately. This stops the cooking so your pasta won't continue to cook while you set it aside to prep your other ingredients.
- In a large frying pan, cook 7-10 strips of bacon. Set aside to cool and drain some of the fat from the pan.
- In that same pan, cook 2 chicken breasts. I like to season mine with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- While your chicken is cooking, prepare your veggies by halving the grape tomatoes, slicing the green onions, and dicing the cabbage.
- Chop your bacon into bite-sized pieces. It should be cooled enough by now to handle!
- Once your chicken is done cooking, dice it into small squares. Set aside.
- Grab a large bowl. Add in your cooked pasta, chicken, bacon, grape tomatoes, green onions, red cabbage, and blue cheese.
- Add in ½ a bottle of sweet onion dressing and ½ a bottle of sweet Italian dressing.
- Mix well and enjoy!
TIP: For best results, allow it to chill in the fridge for at least an hour! Overnight is ideal.
Substitutions and variations
Other add-ins. You can go crazy with adding in different crunchy vegetables and such! You can add diced red pepper, banana peppers, green pepper, black olives, sharp red onions, or marinated artichoke hearts.
Homemade dressing. You can easily make a homemade dressing with a handful of ingredients! This sweet Italian salad dressing calls for a lot of pantry staples, so it should be pretty easy to make!
Cherry Tomatoes. You can also always use cherry tomatoes in place of grape tomatoes!
Fresh Herbs. You can always add fresh herbs like basil to this salad! It would be great!
Type of Cheese. If you don't like blue cheese, you can use another type of cheese to make this delicious ditalini pasta salad recipe to your liking!
Storing leftovers
Store any leftovers in an airtight container for 3-5 days. I like storing them in a food storage container, or a mason jar is also a great option!
FAQs
What is ditalini pasta best used for?
Ditalini is ideal for soups like pasta e fagioli or for pasta salads like this one. Its small, tubular shape makes it perfect for scooping up dressings and small ingredients—just right for that perfect bite in every forkful.
Is ditalini the same as salad macaroni?
Yes! Ditalini pasta is often referred to as salad macaroni because it’s commonly used in creamy pasta salad recipes thanks to its small pasta shape and great texture.
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Want more pasta salad recipes?
Want more recipes like this? Be sure to check out our other pasta salad and potluck-friendly dishes!
Ditalini Pasta Salad
Looking for the ultimate cold pasta salad to serve at your next summer gathering? This Ditalini pasta salad is a crowd pleaser packed with flavor, texture, and just the right amount of crunch. Whether you're prepping for a family cookout, bringing a dish to a potluck, or planning easy lunches for the week, this creamy ditalini pasta recipe checks all the boxes.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ditalini pasta, cooked and cooled
- 7-10 slices bacon, cooked and diced
- ½ lb chicken breast, cooked and diced
- 1 pint of grape tomatoes, sliced in half
- 2 cups red cabbage, diced
- 1 cup green onion
- 1 wedge blue cheese
- ½ container sweet Italian dressing
- ½ container sweet onion dressing
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook your ditalini pasta in boiling water for 9-11 minutes.
- Drain and run cold water over the pasta immediately. This stops the cooking so your pasta won't continue to cook while you set it aside to prep your other ingredients.
- In a large frying pan, cook 7-10 strips of bacon. Set aside to cool and drain some of the fat from the pan.
- In that same pan, cook 2 chicken breasts. I like to season mine with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- While your chicken is cooking, prepare your veggies by halving the grape tomatoes, slicing the green onions, and dicing the cabbage.
- Chop your bacon into bite-sized pieces. It should be cooled enough by now to handle!
- Once your chicken is done cooking, dice it into small squares. Set aside.
- Grab a large bowl. Add in your cooked pasta, chicken, bacon, grape tomatoes, green onions, red cabbage, and blue cheese.
- Add in ½ a bottle of sweet onion dressing and ½ a bottle of sweet Italian dressing.
- Mix well and enjoy!
Notes
Substitutions and variations
Other add-ins. You can go crazy with adding in different crunchy vegetables and such! You can add diced red pepper, banana peppers, green pepper, black olives, sharp red onions, or marinated artichoke hearts.
Homemade dressing. You can easily make a homemade dressing with a handful of ingredients! This sweet Italian salad dressing calls for a lot of pantry staples, so it should be pretty easy to make!
Cherry Tomatoes. You can also always use cherry tomatoes in place of grape tomatoes!
Fresh Herbs. You can always add in fresh herbs like basil to this salad! It would be great!
Type of Cheese. If you don't like blue cheese, you can use another type of cheese to make this delicious ditalini pasta salad recipe to your liking!
Storing leftovers
Store any leftovers in an airtight container for 3-5 days. I like storing them in a food storage container or a mason jar is also a great option!
FAQs
What is ditalini pasta best used for?
Ditalini is ideal for soups like pasta e fagioli or for pasta salads like this one. Its small, tubular shape makes it perfect for scooping up dressings and small ingredients—just right for that perfect bite in every forkful.
Is ditalini the same as salad macaroni?
Yes! Ditalini pasta is often referred to as salad macaroni because it’s commonly used in creamy pasta salad recipes thanks to its small pasta shape and great texture.
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