Kitchn Love Letters

The Bowtie Pasta Salad I’ve Already Made 6 Times This Summer (the Dressing Is the Only One I’ll Ever Use!)

Lindsay Funston
Lindsay FunstonEditor-in-Chief at The Kitchn
I never wanted to work in food, but when I got placed as the food team intern at Real Simple magazine as a new college grad, I knew it was a better fit than fashion or beauty. I didn't really know how to cook, but I loved to eat, and the idea of writing about food seemed fun — who doesn't love it? I moved on to work as an editor at Martha Stewart's Whole Living (RIP) and Oprah magazine (RIP) before saying farewell to print magazines and joining the founding team at Delish, where I fell totally in love with producing food content for the internet. Over the years, I've traveled the country hosting my own video series, written cookbooks, and developed hundreds of viral recipes, including the now-famous Marry Me Chicken (yup, that's me!). I love helping readers (and all of my friends!) figure out easy but still wildly delicious things to cook for dinner, a holiday brunch, a weekend picnic, you name it. Sometimes all you need is a home-cooked meal to turn around a bad day.
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published Jul 19, 2024
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Overhead photo of bow tie pasta salad
Credit: Kelli Foster

If I’m on side duty over the summer, all my friends know to expect a pasta salad coming with me as my plus one. Summer is pasta salad season, and I love pasta salad season rain or shine. I can get behind a classic pasta salad any day of the week, but we all know that’s only the beginning. I’ve brought Cowboy Pasta Salad, BLT Pasta Salad, and Harvest Pasta Salad to parties, potlucks, and picnics.

But I’ve been committed to only one pasta salad for the past year, which is this bow tie version. Why is this the one that finally got my full attention? It has the perfect vinaigrette, with plenty of red wine vinegar to give it some acidic tang, mustard (which to be totally honest was a new addition for me with pasta salad!), and the usuals like garlic and dried oregano. It’s zippy (I don’t love that word to describe food, but it feels right here) and bright, and I’ve had more people than I can count stop eating after a few bites and say, “This dressing is SO GOOD.” I’m telling you!

Get the recipe: Bowtie Pasta Salad

Credit: Kelli Foster

A pasta salad like this is a blank slate when it comes to which ingredients to throw in. Not a fan of olives? It doesn’t need them. Really want to add artichoke hearts? I feel you. But the real stars here that I’d recommend not skipping: zucchini and summer squash. I eat as much zucchini as I can carry out of the farmers market every summer (my favorite vendor sells gigantic ones for just a buck each), but I never really think to add them to salads. Now it’s my most beloved addition: Summer squash acts like a sponge for the vinaigrette and gives the salad a freshness that typical pasta salads can sometimes lack.

I’ve also learned a very important trick from this salad that I feel like more people need to know: When you dress the salad, don’t use all the vinaigrette! Use about half, toss it all together, then reserve the rest to add just before serving. The pasta absorbs the dressing as it sits, which is good for flavor but doesn’t stay nice and slick after sitting on the picnic table for hours. Adding a little more dressing just before serving ensures it gets more moisture and adds more flavor, too. (Read all about this unconventional dressing rule.)

Before summer’s over, promise me you will make this. It’s guaranteed to be a party guest everyone wants to invite back.

Get the recipe: Bowtie Pasta Salad

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