Hawaiian Pasta Salad
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This Hawaiian Pasta Salad is a refreshing play on my favorite Hawaiian Pizza flavors and is always a hit at potlucks! A quick and easy homemade pineapple dressing is tossed with pasta, ham and bell peppers for a uniquely delicious side dish!
How to Make Hawaiian Pasta Salad
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If you are looking for something amazing for your next gathering this is it! This is literally one of the most delicious cold pasta salad recipes I have ever had!
Pasta combined with ham and sweet pineapple is the perfect combination! I’ve added defrosted frozen peas to this recipe as well and they’re delicious! The homemade dressing for this pasta salad is out of this world… you may have a little extra left over and if you do, it’s amazing on any green or spinach salad as well! It will keep in the fridge about 4 days.
This makes a great side dish or even an summer main dish! I sometimes make a big pasta salad on Sundays and the kids take in their lunches throughout the week. Makes for a wonderful lunch and it’s easy!
(Note: This recipe is not the same as a Macaroni Salad found on a typical Hawaiian Plate Lunch… which is usually a combination of mayo & macaroni.
The inspiration for this dish comes from the ingredients served on my favorite Hawaiian Pizza at our local pizzeria and are not typical ingredients paired together in a traditional Hawaiian dish.)
Items You’ll Need For This Recipe
* Pasta (bow tie or rotini) * Ham * Pineapple Tidbits *
This Hawaiian Pasta Salad is a refreshing play on my favorite Hawaiian Pizza flavors and is always a hit at potlucks! A quick and easy homemade pineapple dressing is tossed with pasta, ham and bell peppers for a uniquely delicious side dish!
- 8 oz rotini or bow tie pasta
- 1 (14oz) can pineapple tidbits, juice reserved
- 1 red pepper , diced
- 2 cups diced ham
- 1 green onion , thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise or dressing
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup pineapple juice
- 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- black pepper to taste
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Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and run under cold water.
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Whisk together all dressing ingredients until smooth.
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Combine all ingredients in a large bowl gently toss with dressing. Refrigerate 2 hours before serving.
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Store refrigerated up to 5 days.
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
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Holly
Holly is a wine and cheese lover, recipe creator, shopping enthusiast and self appointed foodie. Her greatest passion is creating in the kitchen and making deliciously comforting recipes for the everyday home cook!
I made the vegan version of this, vegan mayo, vegan sour cream, and added some salt to make up for the lack of ham. I also added cucumbers and yellow, orange and red bell peppers for more crunch and color. It turned out fantastic! Thanks for the recipe :)
You’re welcome Stephanie! So glad it turned out well!
Hi Stephanie, where do you find vegan mayo, vegan sour cream ? Your version sounds exactly how we eat :) Thank you.
Has anyone tried making this salad with cubed mozzarella or provolone cheese? Or would the cheese ruin the salad texture/taste? I’m just wondering, because my favorite part of hawaiian pizza mix is the cheese!
Thanks-Kim :)
I think mozzarella would be delicious in this salad, it has a nice soft texture and mild flavor. Let us know how it goes for you!
My new favorite pasta salad! My husband said it is his favorite also! This is so refreshing and full of flavor. I have also made it with whole wheat pasta, I am not a fan of whole wheat pasta, but it was really yummy in this pasta salad. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
So glad you guys loved this recipe Pam!
I made this recipe for a Hawaiian theme potluck. It turned out so good and everyone enjoyed it. There was none left and I was asked for the recipe! Thanks.
It’s perfect for a Hawaiian themed event! Glad that everyone loved it Marie!
This is a keeper! It is so fresh and a delicious change of pace from my usual pasta salad. My family raves about how much they loved it!
I am so glad this recipe was a hit with your family!
I added sliced marishino cherries to the mix. Decorated with marichino cherries. So pretty and yum!
That sounds like a yummy addition!
Well I just got finished putting it together, I’ll let you know what my family thinks tomorrow. Looks delicious
Hi Ginny, I hope they love it!
I’ve read all the comments, I’m making this for Easter, someone mentioned dry mustard, the recipe called for Dijon mustard, what’s up with that,and a few said it was bland, how an you fix that
I’ve made it exactly as written and we love it.
Well, I just got finished putting it together, I’ll let you know what my family says tomorrow looks delicious
Excellent spring to summer pasta salad! It’s light, but flavorful. I did add a little more green onion. I’m making it for a bridal shower luncheon with a Hawaiian theme. Hopefully, our guests will enjoy it as much as I do!
Delicious!
This is perfect for a Hawaiian theme bridal shower!!
Thanks for this amazing recipe. I prepared this side dish and my guests loved it n came back for seconds. I loved it just as much, it was so creamy n yummy with the right flavors and that pineapple gave it that extra punch. I’m definitely adding this recipe to my collection. xoxo
Glad you loved it!
This looks like a yummy salad. I’m going to add purple grapes cut in half and mandarin oranges.
Sounds great Linda! Enjoy!
Yes, I give it 5 stars.
Very good, dressing is excellent, does not soak up the noodles, very creamy.
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
can this be made the night before?
Yes, I think it tastes even better on the second day as the flavors have extra time to blend.
This recipe is amazing!!!! I made it for my daughters little bday get together and everyone loved it….but instead of the bow tie pasta i used the vegetable rotini… Delish!!
I would like to make this for a croud of 50 or more. How do i do that?
This serves 8 so I would suggest making 7x the recipe.
thanks for such a wonderful recipe i made it for my lunch but ham was not available so i used boiled chicken taste was good
Love this recipe. Have made it a couple of times for events and its always gone! Is a great meal on its own
Love this recipe!!! Have made it a couple of times and taken it to an outdoor event and it always goes!! This is good on its own as a meal.
Someone had mentioned that the salad need something to put it over-the-top. I would suggest try bacon added to it that puts most recipes over the top when making any kind of a recipe. Just a suggestion
Yummy idea!
Has anyone made a different dressing as I can’t eat mayonnaise or salad cream and would love to make this any suggestions please x
Plain Greek yogurt!
Made this with gluten free pasta for my celiac grandchildren. Was an amazing success with nothing left on the plates. Defendantly a keeper in my book.
I am so glad that your family enjoyed this dish!
This is a family favorite. I sometimes will put cut up egg in it. This is so yummy.
Egg sounds like a great addition! I am glad your family likes the recipe!
2nd time making this ;) using bowties this time around. Made this for a more relaxed Easter supper.
Happy Easter! I am so glad to hear that you like the recipe!
I’ve made this many times…It is delicious and refreshing. I’ve always had it alone, as it has meat, veggies & fruit all in one. I’m always looking for something ‘different’ and this definitely fills the bill.
I need this Hawaiian Pasta Salad in my life TODAY!!!!
looking forward to making the Chicken Pasta Salad and the Hawaiian Pasta Salad this summer!!
Made this salad today for us to try tonight, my son loves Hawaiian pizza made as is except added lite spam and some fresh cilantro and parsley mix. I tried it before putting in the fridge tasted really good
Great additions! Thank you for sharing!
Holly, I made you Hawaiian Pasta Salad it was to die for. I just did half the ham cause I’m not crazy over ham & added some extra pineapple, red peppers and did a whole box of spirals and doubled the dressing. I Love It.
Great Job, Enjoyed it very much.
Mil
I’m so glad you loved it Mil!
Good salad. It was missing some flavor. I didn’t add slat since I figured the ham would be salted enough but I think the dressing and pasta absorb so much flavor that I found it bland. I let it sit a few hours in the fridge to let the flavors meld and set. Tasted it again and still found it bland.
Overall, I like the idea of the pineapple and ham but I’m going to play with the ingredients to get it to my liking.
Love all the salad recipes.
Wow this is good! Just made it for a BBQ. Doubled whole recipe, extra green onion, and added minced jalapeno, bacon and tomato. Excellent!
Love the addition of jalapeno for a little bit of heat! So glad you enjoyed it!
very, very good, will be trying these recipes. Thanks.
I just made this and personally I would take out the mustard… I’m not a big fan of dry mustard other than that it was delicious! I did add black olives to ours. I will make this again.
I have made the Hawaiin Pasta Salad and find it tastes more flavorful if you make it a day ahead. It went over really big.
Thank you. I can’t wait to try this Hawaiian pasta salad. I would have NEVER thought of this.
Enjoy Sandra, it’s one of our favorites!
I made this Hawaiian Pasta Salad today,for a BBQ we were having.All the guests loved it . I did add a half of yellow+half of orange pepper,to the red one.I also used small chunks of pineapple instead of tidbits.It was excellent.Because I did add the extra peppers,next time I think i’ll make alittle mor dressing.But I loved it.Thank You so much for this recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Terry! The extra peppers would taste great and add lots of nice color and crunch too! Thank you for sharing!
Truly one of my favorite pasta salads!! I should admit, I augmented the recipe a bit. I also added 1 can of mandarin oranges and bacon pieces. It was a huge hit! Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe!!
I’m so glad you loved this!
I made this’s hawaiian salad for family today. It was a huge hit !
I’m so glad your family enjoyed this!
Love this site. Great recipes
Thank you June! Have a great day!
hi!! just want to let you know that i am making this Hawaiian Pasta tonite for a picnic tomorrow!!! i will give you feed back!!!
Sounds scrumptious . I’ll let you know Thanks
Just made this salad today for a potluck. It is AMAZING! Thanks for sharing it!
So glad you loved it!
Wish you’d publish caloric information
I’m sorry I am unable to provide nutritional information. You can enter your ingredients here to calculate your calories.
I made the Hawaiian Pasta Salad today. Delicious!
I’m so glad you loved it!
Is there a way I can make the sauce vegan ? I would still use the ham and the peppers
I don’t follow a vegan lifestyle so I can’t say for sure.
if your going to use the ham what’s the point trying to make the sauce vegan. ham is not a vegetable. ham comes from pig an animal with parents.
Yes! Substituting a vegan mayo (I highly recommend Just Mayo — tastes just like the real thing, but no animal products) for the mayonnaise and perhaps a plain vegan yogurt (soy or coconut) would probably work very well for the dressing.
Thanks Amanda!
I made the Hawaiian pasta tonight it was so fantastic, my husband who does not like cold pasta loved it and said can I take it for lunch Thursday
I”m glad your family loved this Lorre! :D
Can’t wait to make this do you think I could use the sweet peppers (yellow and orange) instead of red? And I’m not sure on using the computer I’m 49 and just learning so this might be a dumb question how can I subscribe to your website? You are a cook after my own heart!!!! Can’t wait to see more Thank you and God Bless
Yes, I think yellow and orange would work perfectly Kathryn! :) Great question, you can sign up for emails here. The daily emails show all new posts on the site each week while the weekly emails are collection of recipes. You can also follow along on Facebook here.
Please let me know if you have any other questions! Have a great week!
Oh my gosh. This Hawaiian Pasta Salad is FANTASTIC!! We had to taste-test it right away without waiting for the 2 hours to meld the flavors. I am telling you, this is so delicious! I’m saving the dressing part of the recipe to use on coleslaw or potato salad or whatever else I can think of to put it on. Unbelievably great! Thank you for this recipe. I can’t wait to try it on guests and see what they think.
Yay! I’m so glad you loved it! We love it too (in fact, I’m making it again tomorrow) :). The dressing is also great on spinach salad!
Oh my gosh, this salad rocks!! I just made it as is and it’s absolutely perfect! I’m so happy right now – I needed to take a salad to a fourth of July party in the neighborhood I just moved into. I’m going to make all kinds of friends now! :D Thank you for this!
I’m so glad you loved it! :)
I have made this several times for our church potluck. They love it and there are never leftovers.
Took it tonight to a church potluck. Folks liked it but we’re afraid it had Spam on it. I think a true Hawaiian would have used Spam. Didn’t need extra salt as the ham had enough to carry that as well. Maybe a small pinch of ground ginger would have given it some umphh. It was good but seems to need something to put it over the top.
How could I substitute the red bell pepper?
You could substitute with another color of sweet pepper (yellow, orange, green) or you could leave the bell pepper out.
Just now made this for a church potluck tomorrow. It’s delicious but kinda bland looking. Pink ham, red bell pepper, not much green and the pineapple chunks are invisible. I think I might add a couple more green onions and next time I’ll use a green bell pepper. But . . . with all this said it is VERY tasty!
I love the idea of adding more color via extra peppers and green onions. Adding extra veggies is always a good thing!
Cannot wait to try these recipes. Thanks for keeping a small family in mind with the amounts
You’re welcome Judy! Enjoy!
Made it twice very delicious
I am glad you liked it Terry!
Can I save a few of your recipes in my Pinterest files, I’m not a blogger just a 69 year old grandmother, but I love saving recipes. I read cookbooks like a book, I think I might gain weight just looking at them. I don’t want to violate anyone’s rules,I just thought if there was a Pinterest sign on a recipe we could save it. Thank you
You’re more than welcome to save any of my recipes via Pinterest!! Happy cooking Helen!
This looks and sounds amazing! Can’t wait to try it this summer when it’s too hot to eat and all I want is a cold pasta salad which is probably going to be Saturday or Sunday this week because it’s supposed to reach 99 here in Salem, Oregon. Will be sharing it to Facebook as well. Already pinned it on Pinterest.
Thanks Holly!
Enjoy Heather and thank you for sharing!
Can turkey or chicken be used instead of ham
You could certainly try this recipe with chicken or turkey however it would change the flavor of the dish. You may need to increase the amount of salt slightly as well.
Do you think I could substitute salami for the ham?
Yes, I think that would be delicious however it would change the flavor of the dish.
Do you think you can sub broccolli for red pepper or would it change the taste too much?
I can’t say for sure as I’ve only tried the recipe as written. I’d love to hear how it turns out for you!
Nice salads, Holly. Thank you
Enjoy Liz!!
What? No salt? Looks awesome.
You can certainly add salt to taste.
Thank you Holly for the lovely salads and have a great weekend!
You too Liz!! Enjoy! :)
I added some fried bacon and whole cherry tomatoes. Took it over the top.
Delicious additions!
Yummy!
Yummy!!!
This looks so good! Must try.
OMG…..this sounds so good…..I can’t wait to try it!!
Thank you Meg, it’s one of our favorites!
I am not a Ham fan, can this be made, and taste as good with Chicken??
I’m wondering if this is one of those pasta salads that is better made the day before serving?
I’m expecting my children, grands for Easter Break. I live in the Deep South so it’s almost like summer here. This was shared by a friend on FB. I just made it and it’s chilling in the refrigerator. It is unique, delicious, colorful and refreshing and would be a great accompaniment for many dishes or on its own for lunch. Look forward to trying more of your ideas, and hope the little “picky eaters” will give it a go!
Thank you Jane! I hope they love it too! Have a wonderful Easter break with your family!
Can someone comment that has already made it????
Has anyone tried this recipe with chicken instead of ham?
think I would use both chicken and ham or spam because it could use the extra meat! :-)
I know what I’m bringing to Bunco Thanks for sharing this.
This is hands down the best pasta salad! Thank you so much for sharing!
Looks amazing. I’m making it for a Hawaiian-themed potluck at work tomorrow.
Just made this for a pot luck tomorrow. Hoping there will be leftovers but I doubt it. Yum!
I made this for supper tonight, and am currently eating this as a write what I think.. I love it, I don’t think it’s bland. I like the flavors mixed together, it’s a recipe that I will add into my meal planning. Thanks so much!!
So glad you enjoyed it! :)
Great little recipe. Top marks. Thanks for sharing this.
Simon
Wish there were more comments from people who actually made the recipe.
I totally agree!
I absolutely love anything with ham and pineapple! This will make the perfect Summertime salad! Can’t wait to try it! Pinned! Would love for you to share this at the OhMyHeartsieGirlsWW! Have a fabulous week!
Christine@CherishingaSweetLife
I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy the dressing, it’s one of our favorites.
Congratulations!
Your recipe is featured on Full Plate Thursday this week. Hope you have a great weekend and enjoy your new Red Plate!
Miz Helen
Thank you Miz Helen!
We are going to love this salad and I can’t wait to make it! Hope you are having a great day and thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday this week.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
This looks beyond amazing! Thanks for linking up with What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!
I never would have thought to put these flavors together, but this looks really good! Thanks for sharing with Works for Me Wednesday!
Can’t wait to try this as cole slaw instead of using pasta.
Saw this on Two Uses Tuesday and can not wait to try it. It looks delicious and is pretty, too! Thank you so much for sharing. Pin this to my Salads board. Have a Fabulous Day!
Thank you Becky!!
Yum. This pasta looks great.
This is so gorgeous, I absolutely love it!! Pinning!
Thank you for sharing Cathy!!
Is there any way to not make this soy/milk free?
Without soy or milk, I meant to say.
What a great idea for a summer pasta salad! I love the flavors in this.
for us summer is all about the pastas salads – and this one sound amazing! I’ve never tired pineapple in one before, but I bet we’d all love it
That dressing is one of the most creative things I have ever seen. I love this salad.
Yes please! I love Hawaiian style pizza so of course the pasta version is a guaranteed hit!