Ditalini Pasta Salad
This Ditalini Pasta Salad is a crunchy, creamy, tangy, smoky and crowd-pleasing dish that packs a little bit of everything into every single bite! Perfect for summer picnics or outdoor BBQs.
Ditalini (tiny, tube-shaped pasta) which means “small thimbles” in Italian, is a popular choice for bite-size salads because its petite, uniform shape matches the scale of finely chopped ingredients, ensuring you get a perfect forkful of pasta, veggies, and protein in every single bite without overpowering the other textures.
Loaded with bacon, chicken, and hard-boiled eggs, this little salad packs enough protein to stand alone as a complete meal.
What is ditalini pasta salad?
This ditalini pasta salad is a hearty, flavor-packed dish that brings together a wonderful mix of textures and tastes. Tender ditalini pasta meets crunchy romaine and iceberg lettuce, vibrant red cabbage, juicy tomatoes, and sweet sliced gherkins, all tossed with smoky bacon, creamy hard-boiled eggs, tangy Gorgonzola cheese, and diced rotisserie chicken.
A simple yet flavorful dressing of olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, garlic, and Dijon ties everything together. Whether served at room temperature or chilled, every bite offers a little bit of everything, making it the ultimate make-ahead salad for picnics, potlucks, or easy weeknight meals!
Why you’ll love ditalini pasta salad
- The ultimate picnic salad – delicious served at room temperature or chilled.
- Finely chopping the ingredients creates a uniform look and gives you a little of everything in every bite.
- Most components can be made ahead, saving you time and effort when you assemble the salad right before serving.
Ingredients needed to make ditalini pasta salad
- Bacon: Cooked and crumbled.
- Hard-boiled eggs: Cooked and chopped. You can make these ahead and store in the fridge to reduce the recipe time.
- Ditalini pasta: This small pasta is ideal when making pasta salad with delicate textures. Cook until al dente for that delicious chewy texture and drain well before combining with the rest of the ingredients.
- Romaine lettuce: Wash and pat dry before chopping. It adds a delicious crunchy texture.
- Red cabbage: Thinly sliced. Adds a pop of color and crunchy texture.
- Iceberg lettuce: Thinly sliced. Wash and pat dry to remove any dirt.
- Tomatoes: Chopped. You can use regular garden tomatoes, grape tomatoes, or cherry tomatoes.
- Scallions: Sliced.
- Gherkins: Use the sweet variety and thinly slice.
- Gorgonzola: A rich and tangy addition to this pasta salad. If you don’t enjoy gorgonzola cheese, use feta or goat cheese instead.
- Chicken: Use diced cooked chicken. Rotisserie chicken is great for added convenience, but leftover chicken breast works too.
- Salad dressing: This simple salad dressing combines olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, garlic, Dijon, oregano, kosher salt, and black pepper.
How do you make this ditalini pasta salad recipe?
Prepare the pasta salad ingredients:
- Cook and crumble the bacon.
- Boil and drain the pasta. Spread it on a tray to cool faster or place in the fridge.
- Hard-boil, peel, and chop the eggs.
- In a large bowl, combine all of the pasta salad ingredients.
Make the dressing:
- Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a jar.
Assemble and serve:
- Pour desired amount of dressing over the salad, toss, and serve.
Serving
This ditalini pasta salad is a lovely picnic salad or side dish to pair at your next outdoor BBQ with grilled chicken, grilled shrimp skewers, grilled steak, and juicy burgers.
Enjoy this pasta salad as a light meal with a slice of Garlic Cheese Bread, if you prefer.
Sandy’s tips and substitutions:
- Storage: Store leftover ditalini pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep in mind that the fresh salad ingredients will start to soften and release their natural juices while stored. The homemade dressing can be stored separately in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. Give any leftover dressing a good stir/shake before using again.
- Al dente pasta: Only cook the ditalini pasta until al dente. I usually shave 1-2 minutes off the package’s suggested cook time to achieve the perfect texture.
- Cooling the pasta: Placing the pasta in the fridge while preparing the rest of this salad is a great way to cool it quickly. You could also spread the pasta evenly on a tray when refrigerating it (if there’s room in the fridge) which will speed up the process even more!
- Make ahead: Assemble this pasta salad the night before to allow all of the flavors to meld together and intensify as it chills in the fridge. It always tastes the best the next day! I recommend only adding the crisp fresh salad ingredients, such as lettuce and cabbage, to the pasta salad just before serving to preserve texture.
- Double the recipe: Double this ditalini pasta salad if you plan to serve a crowd or want extra for the days to follow. Trust me, you will want more!
- Cook in salted water: Always cook your pasta in salted water. It makes a huge difference to the overall flavor of the salad. And don’t forget to rinse the pasta to get rid of excess starch which can make the pasta stick together.
- Use a large bowl: Choose a large enough bowl to comfortably fold and toss the salad and dressing together.
Variations:
- Gluten-free: Swap regular pasta for a sturdy GF variety like brown rice or chickpea pasta, which holds up well to dressings and sauces.
- Other types of cheese: Replace the gorgonzola cheese with torn burrata, soft mozzarella pearls, or crumbled feta or goat cheese.
- Added texture: Add nuts, seeds, or homemade croutons for crunch.
- Vegan ditalini pasta salad: Omit the cheese, chicken, bacon, and eggs and add-in chickpeas and other fresh salad ingredients, such as diced cucumbers, red onion, and other favorites to add bulk, flavor, and texture.
- Change the pasta: Use your favorite pasta to make this pasta salad. Small pasta varieties are best.
For more small-bite salad recipes, be sure to try Pancetta Arugula Salad, Zesty Quinoa Salad, or Wedge Salad Bites.
More summer pasta recipes you may want to try:
Get the Recipe:
Ditalini Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 1 lb bacon cooked, crumbled
- 3 hard boiled eggs, cooked and chopped
- 1 ½ c ditalini pasta cooked drained
- 4 cups chopped romaine
- 4 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
- 4 cups thinly sliced iceberg
- 4 tomatoes chopped
- 1 c sliced scallions
- ½ c sweet gherkins thinly sliced
- 1 c gorgonzola crumbled
- 4 cups diced cooked chicken
For the Dressing
- 1 ½ c olive oil
- ¾ c white balsamic vinegar
- 6 teaspoons maple syrup
- 4 grated garlic cloves
- 3 teaspoon Dijon
- 3 teaspoon oregano
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cook and crumble the bacon.
- Boil and drain the pasta. Spread it on a tray to cool faster or place in the fridge.
- Hard-boil, peel, and chop the eggs.
- In a large bowl, combine all of the pasta salad ingredients.
- Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a jar (or add and shake the jar).
- Pour desired amount of dressing over the salad, toss, and serve.
Notes
Sandy’s tips:
- Storage: Store leftover ditalini pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep in mind that the fresh salad ingredients will start to soften and release their natural juices while stored. The homemade dressing can be stored separately in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. Give any leftover dressing a good stir/shake before using again.
- Al dente pasta: Only cook the ditalini pasta until al dente. I usually shave 1-2 minutes off the package’s suggested cook time to achieve the perfect texture.
- Cooling the pasta: Placing the pasta in the fridge while preparing the rest of this salad is a great way to cool it quickly. You could also spread the pasta evenly on a tray when refrigerating it (if there’s room in the fridge) which will speed up the process even more!
- Make ahead: Assemble this pasta salad the night before to allow all of the flavors to meld together and intensify as it chills in the fridge. It always tastes the best the next day! I recommend only adding the crisp fresh salad ingredients, such as lettuce and cabbage, to the pasta salad just before serving to preserve texture.
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...
