Cold Carbonara Pasta Salad
Cold Carbonara Pasta Salad is a spaghetti pasta salad that is chilled, made with pancetta, ham, peas, eggs, red onion, and a creamy dressing. It’s perfect for gatherings, backyard parties and picnics.
Carbonara is a classic Italian pasta dish made with carbonara sauce, typically of eggs, black pepper, percorino Romano (or Parmesan), and pancetta. My version of Cold Carbonara Pasta Salad is similar, but remade into a “chilled” wonderful anytime salad with spaghetti, pancetta, ham, peas, eggs, and red onion. And then of course, it’s tossed with in a dreamy, cheesy dressing.
It’s great for any season, because it feeds a crowd, and everyone loves it. Serve it in the summer with Bang Bang Chicken, a house salad, and Jalapeno Biscuits for a savory, wonderful meal. It’s a beautiful presentation when you serve it in one of our epic salad bowls.
This carbonara recipe inspired from my Italy travels
The inspiration for this recipe comes from when I was in Venice, Italy and enjoyed the most dreamy carbonara at a very small restaurant, sitting outside and overlooking a beautiful canal. I’ll never forget the Spaghetti alla Carbonara that night with spring peas and crunchy pancetta. This dish is pretty much the ultimate Italian pasta dish, in my mind, with the perfect mix of a few simple ingredients.
Imagine this original “hot” dish turned into a cold pasta salad with a dreamy dressing! Serve for spring (with spring peas), Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day – or just an all around great summer pasta salad!
Can you have cold carbonara?
How many of us have reheated Carbonara leftovers the next day, but took a quick bite first (nice and cold) and still loved it? Yes, you can totally make a cold carbonara and turn it into a pasta salad! Read on to learn more about this delicious pasta salad!
What are the ingredinets to make Cold Carbonara Pasta Salad?
- Pasta: spaghetti
- Olive oil
- Meat: Pancetta (we buy at Trader Joe’s) + Ham
- Veggies: Celery, peas, red onion
- Eggs: Hard cooked eggs
- Dressing: Mayo, milk, Parmesan cheese, fresh cracked pepper, Parmigiano reggiano cheese + Italian parsley
How do you make a cold version of Spaghetti Carbonara?
Make the pasta:
Bring a big pot of water to boil. Break the spaghetti into 2 inch lengths and cook to package directions, al dente (about 1 minute less).
Drain pasta and place in large mixing bowl. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the pasta; toss and allow to cool.
Whisk together the creamy dressing:
Make the creamy dressing by whisking all the ingredients together until nice and creamy!
Assemble the pasta salad:
- Sauté pancetta until crispy. Drain on paper towels and add to pasta.
- Chop up the ham, celery and hard-boiled eggs and add to the pasta. Pour the thawed peas on top with finely chopped red onion. Add together with the pasta.
- Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients.
- Toss the salad and place in a beautiful serving bowl.
Garnish the salad:
Garnish with sprinkled Parmigiano Reggiano and finely chopped flat leaf parsley. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours. Serve in one of our epic salad bowls!
Tips and substitutions:
- Always use real mayonnaise. I promise it just makes the salad dressing the best. We’ve tried others, and it’s not quite the same.
- Break spaghetti noodles into 2 inch lengths and bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Cook to al dente, which makes it the perfect texture.
- Optional to use bacon instead of pancetta, or both.
- I love to buy 4 packs of pancetta from Trader Joe’s (4 oz each) and pop in the freezer! That way I always have some on hand. You can freeze ham, too.
- We use ham steak for this – cut into small cubes, but you can use any ham.
- Parmesan is not the same as Parmigiano Reggiano. American parmesan a different cheese, much sweeter and creamier, and not as expensive. You can also use American Parmesan for this recipe.
- Chilling: The salad is best if chilled at least an hour before serving!
- Storing: Store in the fridge for up to 5 days!
More pasta salads you may want to try:
Get the Recipe:
Cold Carbonara Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti, broken into 2 inch lengths
- 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 16 ounces pancetta, I buy (4) 4oz packs at Trader Joe’s
- 8 ounces ham, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
- 4 stalks celery, sliced thin
- 7 hard-boiled eggs, chopped finely
- 2 cups frozen peas, thawed
- ½ cup red onion, finely chopped
- 2 cups mayonnaise
- 5-6 Tbsp milk
- 1 ½ cups parmesan cheese, shredded
- freshly cracked black pepper and salt to taste
- ½ cup parmigiano reggiano cheese, for garnish
- Italian flat leaf parsley for garnish
Equipment
Instructions
Make the pasta:
- Bring a big pot of water to boil. Break the spaghetti into 2 inch lengths and cook to package directions, al dente (about 1 minute less).
- Drain pasta and place in large mixing bowl. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the pasta; toss and allow to cool.
Make the salad:
- In a frying pan, sauté pancetta until crispy. Drain on paper towels and add to pasta.
- Chop up the ham, celery and hard-boiled eggs and add to the pasta. Pour the thawed peas on top with finely chopped red onion.
Make the dressing:
- Whisk together the mayonnaise, milk, parmesan cheese and mix well. Add freshly cracked black pepper and salt to taste.
- Toss the salad and place in a beautiful serving bowl.
- Garnish with sprinkled Parmigiano Reggiano and finely chopped flat leaf parsley. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
