Bowtie Pasta Salad Recipe

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This bowtie pasta salad recipe is the perfect summer BBQ chicken side dish. It comes together in less than 10 minutes with a homemade vinaigrette, crisp vegetables, and cooked pasta. Enjoy it at a cookout or as a cold pasta salad for a picnic or lunch.

Wooden spoon scooping delicious Bowtie Pasta Salad from a large bowl.

Why Make Vegetable Pasta Salad Recipe

Easy BBQ chicken side dish: This delicious pasta salad comes together in 4 simple steps and makes a perfect BBQ chicken side. This would pair perfectly with Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Tenders, BBQ Boneless Chicken Thighs, Air Fryer Chicken Kabobs and more.
Simple ingredients: This easy summer pasta salad comes together with a handful of basic ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen.

Ingredients Needed

Here’s what you need to know about the ingredients in this recipe to make my bowtie pasta salad successfully:

Bowtie pasta: Cooked in salted water. If you cook these right before making the salad, you can give them some time to cool. But, you can also cook these ahead.
Cherry tomatoes: I cut these in half
Cucumber: I quartered mine and sliced them thinly. You can use a regular cucumber, English cucumber or Persian cucumber.
Red onions: These have a mild flavor and pair well with the tanginess of the vinaigrette. Be sure to slice them thinly
Parmesan Cheese: I get grated parmesan cheese from the refrigerated section in the market.
Feta cheese crumbles: this adds a little bit of a salty and creaminess to this dish.

Homemade Vinaigrette

Apple Cider Vinegar
Olive Oil
Old Bay Seasoning: this is an all-purpose seasoning
Honey: this adds a touch of sweetness to the vinaigrette, but the dish is not sweet.

Ingredients for Bowtie Pasta Salad: Cooked bowtie pasta, halved cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced cucumber, red onions, grated Parmesan cheese, feta cheese crumbles, Old Bay vinaigrette made with apple cider vinegar, olive oil, Old Bay seasoning, and honey.

How To Make Salad With Bowtie Pasta

Make the vinaigrette: Add the vinaigrette ingredients to a mixing bowl and use a whisk to combine.
Add the pasta, vegetables, and parmesan cheese to a large bowl and mix to combine.
Pour on the vinaigrette.
Stir to combine. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Recipe Tips & FAQs

Substitute the sweetener: I’m using honey to add a touch of sweetness to the vinaigrette. You can use your favorite honey substitute to taste if you wish.
Turn it into a main dish by adding instant pot shredded chicken. You may want to make more of the vinaigrette to ensure that it’s still saucy with the chicken though.
Add more or different vegetables like: bell peppers (sweet mini bell pepper or red and orange bell peppers work best), broccoli, olives, artichokes, and more. The options are really endless.

What type of pasta is typically called bowtie pasta?

Farfalle pasta is the actual name of the bowtie pasta.

How do you cook bowtie?

For best results, you should follow the instructions on the box or package of your favorite pasta. I used a half box of dried pasta in this recipe. My only tip is to salt the water like the ocean. This gives the pasta some extra flavor

Bowtie Pasta Salad in a large bowl, bursting with colorful ingredients and creamy dressing.

What to Serve with Pasta Salad

Here are some delicious main dishes that would go well with this pasta salad: