Hawaiian Pizza Pasta Salad
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This pasta salad recipe has it all, from sweet pineapple, green peppers, tangy bbq sauce, to Canadian bacon! Everyone will love this Hawaiian Pizza Pasta Salad recipe!
Imagine being able to turn your favorite pizza flavor into the best pasta salad you’ve ever had! That’s exactly what this Hawaiian Pasta Salad is! Inspired by Hawaiian pizza, this creamy pasta salad is a perfect summer potluck option.
Mathlete loves Hawaiian pizza. There is something about the combination of pineapple and ham that he can’t resist. Since it is summer, we end up a lot of picnics and BBQs and not very many pizza parties. So, I decided to turn his favorite pizza into a pasta salad. This Hawaiian pizza pasta salad is always a favorite at our house and is sure to be one in yours too!
This Hawaiian pizza pasta salad is definitely different than a traditional Hawaiian pasta salad (also known as mac salad). I am throwing that out there from the start so there is no confusion. They are both super delicious though so I encourage you to try out a traditional Hawaiian pasta salad at some point too.
Ingredients for Hawaiian Pizza Pasta Salad
Pasta: I love the bow tie shape for this cold pasta salad recipe but any short cut pasta will work fine.
Pineapple: Fresh pineapple will work best here since it will be grilled but, in a pinch, you can substitute with canned pineapple slices.
Green Pepper: This adds the perfect little crunch to the pasta salad.
Canadian Bacon: Feel free to substitute ham here.
Barbecue Sauce
Green Onions: Another little bit of crunch but these are totally optional.
Mayonnaise, Greek Yogurt, and Sour Cream: These combine to make the base for the dressing. Perfectly creamy and tangy!
Dijon Mustard: This adds a little bit of complexity to the dressing.
Orange Juice: The juice helps sweetened the dressing while also thinning it out. You can substitute pineapple juice here too. For mine, I always use orange juice because I feel like the pineapple juice makes it a little too sweet. Try both and see which one you prefer.
Cider Vinegar: Adds just a little hint of acidity amidst all the creaminess.
Salt and pepper
Essential Items for this Recipe
How to Make This Cold Hawaiian Pasta Salad Recipe
This recipe requires minimal cooking. Other than cooking the pasta, the rest is mixing and then refrigerating. Here is an overview (you can find the full instructions in the recipe card below):
- Cook your pasta. Use the directions on the pasta packaging to cook it to al dente.
- Make your dressing. Mix the dressing ingredients together.
- Chop and Prep: Prepare all the other ingredients.
- Mix. Combine the pasta, dressing, and other ingredients.
- Refrigerate. Put in the refrigerator to chill until ready to serve.
This is such a super flexible recipe that allows you to some ingredients that you already have on hand. You can also easily make it ahead but save a little of the dressing to toss in just before serving as it the pasta will soak up some of it while refrigerating.
More Hawaiian Inspired Recipes
If you loved this Hawaiian Pizza Pasta Salad, check out these:
- Hawaiian BBQ Pork Meal Prep Bowls
- Hawaiian Tuna Cakes with Pineapple Habanero Salsa
- Hawaiian Ice Cream
Hawaiian Pizza Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 12 ounces bow tie pasta
- 5 pineapple slices grilled and cut into chunks
- 1 green pepper diced
- 2 cups diced Canadian bacon
- 2 Tablespoons barbecue sauce
- 2 green onions sliced
Dressing
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente. Rinse with cold water and drain completely.12 ounces bow tie pasta
- In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, sour cream, Dijon mustard, and cider vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon cider vinegar, Salt and pepper
- In a large bowl, combine pasta, pineapple, green pepper, and Canadian bacon. Add dressing and stir to combine. Refrigerate for at least one hour.5 pineapple slices, 1 green pepper, 2 cups diced Canadian bacon
- Before serving, stir. Then, drizzle with BBQ sauce and top with chopped green onions.2 Tablespoons barbecue sauce, 2 green onions
Notes
- This pasta salad can be made up to 2 days in advance. If making ahead, reserve a small amount of dressing to stir into the salad just before serving.
Nutrition
