This Ham Pasta Salad is loaded with pineapple and veggies. It is a refreshing play on my favorite Hawaiian Pizza flavors (which is not actually Hawaiian at all)!
A quick and easy homemade pineapple dressing is tossed with pasta, ham, and bell peppers for a uniquely delicious side dish!
It’s potluck perfect and makes a great side dish or light meal.
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A Fresh and Flavorful Pasta Salad
If you are looking for a pasta salad that’s a little bit different, this ham pasta salad is it!
- Pasta – Use any medium shaped pasta, farfalle, shells, and rotini are favorites.
- Add Ins: In this easy recipe, ham and pineapple are the stars, inspired by flavors on a Hawaiian pizza. Red peppers add crunch and color while green onions add flavor.
- The dressing is a quick creamy pineapple dressing and it’s so good that I always double it for salads (it’s excellent over strawberry spinach salad too).
This recipe is not a Hawaiian dish, and it is not Hawaiian pasta salad like a Macaroni Salad found on a typical Hawaiian Plate Lunch. In a Hawaiian plate lunch, generally, macaroni salad is a tangy combination of mayo & macaroni, sometimes with a few other ingredients. You can find a great Hawaiian macaroni salad here.
The Pineapple Dressing
You can use almost any dressing on pasta salad. This recipe includes a fresh and zesty pineapple dressing. Making homemade dressing is very quick and easy, and the flavor is much better than store-bought dressing.
- Mayonnaise and sour cream are the creamy base
- Pineapple (and a bit of cider vinegar) add tang and freshness
- Dijon and garlic powder add flavor while honey balances out the dressing.
Tips for Pasta Salads
- Don’t overcook the pasta, it will soften as it soaks up the dressing.
- Add extra dressing, as some will be absorbed by the pasta.
- Pasta salad is best made at least a couple of hours ahead of time so the flavors have a chance to blend.
- Season the salad generously.
Perfect Pasta Salads
Did your family love this Ham & Pineapple Pasta Salad? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces rotini or bow tie pasta
- 1 can pineapple tidbits (14 ounces) with juice reserved for dressing
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 2 cups diced ham
- 1 green onion thinly sliced
Dressing
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup pineapple juice
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain the pasta and run it under cold water to cool.
- In a bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients until smooth.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta, ham, pineapple, bell pepper, green onion, and dressing. Gently toss to combine.
- Refrigerate the pasta salad for at least 2 hours before serving.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Pasta, Salad, Side Dish
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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!