This Bow Tie Pasta Salad is an easy, tasty side dish that is always a favorite at barbecues, potlucks, or even as a filling lunch! While I often make Italian Pasta Salad, this dish has a rich creamy dressing that’s hard to resist! Ham, cheddar and veggies are mixed in for the perfect potluck dish!

Serve alongside Hamburgers or grilled pork chops for a summer salad everyone loves!

Bowtie pasta salad in a bowl with a serving spoon on the side

Favorite Bowtie Pasta Salad Ingredients

While some of the basic ingredients may change, the star of this pasta salad is the bow tie shaped pasta!  Not only does it hold up well to the creamy mayo dressing but the shape complements round peas, diced pieces of ham and cheese. Like most pasta salad recipes,  you can add or remove ingredients based on what you have on hand; this recipe is very versatile.

  • Base: Bow Tie pasta (you can substitute any medium shaped pasta or even make Tortellini Salad).
  • Meat & Cheese: cheddar cheese & ham are my favorite choices. You can make bowtie pasta salad with feta and skip the ham and make it with chicken or pepperoni.
  • Veggies: I love pasta salad with peas! Add white onion (or swap for red or green), bell pepper (even chopped spinach works well).

These are just the basics! Get creative with what you have on hand and make your own custom summer bow tie pasta salad with items like sliced black olives, celery and even sun-dried tomatoes!

Bow tie pasta salad ingredients on a wooden board

How to Make Bowtie Pasta Salad

To make this pasta salad start by boiling the pasta according to package directions. Once cooked, run it under really cold water to cool, this stops the cooking process so the noodles don’t get overcooked (and mushy)! Once you have that complete, it’s easy ‘peas’-y!

  1. Mix all the dressing ingredients in small bowl.
  2. Toss everything together and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Before taking a big scoop of tasty pasta salad, season with salt and pepper.

Ingredients for a bow tie pasta salad

To Make Ahead

The flavors blend as this recipe sits making it the perfect make ahead party dish. If making more than a few hours ahead of time, be generous with the dressing as the pasta will soak it up a bit.

Got Leftovers?

Fridge: A bowtie pasta salad with ham can last 3-5 days in the fridge if it is kept cold and in a tightly sealed container.

Freezer: Pasta Salad doesn’t freeze well so prep this shortly before serving.

Bowtie pasta salad in a bowl with parsley on top

More Delicious Pasta Salad Recipes

image of Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text
Bowtie pasta salad in a bowl with a serving spoon on the side
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Bow Tie Pasta Salad

A creamy bowtie pasta salad recipe with ham, peas and cheddar cheese!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Author Holly Nilsson
buy hollys book

Ingredients  

  • 1 pound bow tie pasta
  • 1 cup diced cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup diced ham diced
  • 3 tablespoons finely diced white onion
  • ½ cup frozen peas thawed
  • ½ cup finely diced red bell pepper

Dressing

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 3 tablespoons sweet relish
  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions 

  • Boil pasta al dente according to package directions.
  • Combine all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.
  • Toss all ingredients in a large bowl. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
5 from 55 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 524 | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 530mg | Potassium: 243mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 590IU | Vitamin C: 15.8mg | Calcium: 118mg | Iron: 1.3mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Salad
Cuisine American

REPIN this Easy Pasta Salad

Bow Tie Pasta Salad shown with a title

Bow Tie Pasta Salad shown with a title with ham and peas
Ingredients and a mixed Bow Tie Pasta Salad shown with a title

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About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. With a passion for nostalgic flavors and simplified techniques, Holly helps busy home cooks create delicious meals that always work. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
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Comments

  1. This pasta salad is simply delicious, quick to prepare and an instant hit with everyone. It’s now a family and friends favorite.5 stars

  2. Made this for the July Pasta Salad Cooking Challenge. It was very tasty and made for great leftovers the next day. Ham, cheese and peas are such a great combo.

    1. We find it tastes best if left to chill for at least an hour. So as long as you have time to let it sit that long then it is delicious made the same day!

    1. We prefer it on the same day because it’s creamier. The pasta will soak some of the dressing overnight. If you’d like, you can prepare everything and add the dressing at least an hour before serving.

  3. My family loved this, especially the dressing. Thanks for the great recipe. I’ll definitely make this one again soon.5 stars

  4. The recipes are simple and easy to understand and follow with the pictures of each of the ingredients, fantastic food 5 stars

  5. Made this for our family reunion snd it was a big hit. I am not big On Salads but this was yummy. Thank you for sharing.

  6. Thank you for sharing this recipe . My family loves it. I made it exactly as noted and would not add or subtract any ingredient.
    Easy to make , great for summer meals..5 stars

  7. There is way too much bow tie pasta in this recipe, think it should have been a 1/2 pound, I had to make more dressing and doubled the other items.

  8. I plan on making this salad, plus about every salad listed on this site! You have a most impressive and delicious looking array of absolutely divine sounding salads….sheer heaven for me, as I love to make healthy salads for my family and me!! In fact, there are SO many recipes here I want to try, and not just salads!

  9. I have a question about the creamy bow tie pasta salad. I am not a fan of relish, could I substitute something else, or just leave it out? Thanks

    1. I have seen many different flavors of relish, some not made of pickles. (I love vidalia onion relish!) you could of course leave it out as well Darlene.

  10. I use to get your emails but I no longer get any of them. Please add me back in to receive them. Thanks

    1. Hi Peggine! At your request, I’ve sent you the email for you to confirm :) Enjoy your day