This recipe makes a nice lunch. It would also be an excellent dinner for a hot summer evening, served al fresco with perhaps a bottle of white wine and some crusty buttered bread on the side to make it more substantial. Whatever meal you choose to do this ham pasta salad recipe at, you can rest assured everyone will like it.
Use plain penne or tricolour penne (green, orange, and white) for this ham pasta salad. The ham, carrot, bell pepper, olives, and celery give a great flavour contrast and plenty of crunches. The creamy dressing is quite thick, but that suits the overall style of the salad. Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard and olive oil combine to produce the tasty dressing, and you can also stir in some snipped chives or basil if you fancy either of those.
This is one of the best pasta salad recipes to make if you want to make a satisfying lunch. The ham and vegetables pair well with the pasta, and the dressing is beautiful. As is the norm with pasta salad recipes, you can alter the ingredients if you like, making minor changes such as switching the yellow bell pepper for red bell pepper, or bigger ones like using cooked shredded chicken instead of the ham.
Likewise, if you want to use seafood, you can use chopped imitation crab or flaked tuna instead of ham. Again, the result will be just as tasty.
This ham pasta salad recipe makes two servings, so feel free to double or triple it, make a family meal, or even make a lot more, perhaps in batches, if you want to serve it at a potluck supper or buffet. Both adults and kids will enjoy the range of textures and flavours in this dish, and it is one of the most flavorful pasta salad recipes that you can make.
Ham Pasta Salad With Creamy Dressing
Ingredients
- 3 ½ ounces penne pasta
- 4 ounces cubed ham
- 1 medium carrots peeled, cubed
- ½ medium yellow bell pepper diced
- 8 pieces black olives sliced
- 2 stalks celery sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 4 tablespoons Greek yogurt
Instructions
- Cook the pasta, following the instructions on the package.
- Add the cubed carrot 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time.
- Drain the pasta and carrot and toss with the ham, bell pepper, olives, and celery.
- Stir the olive oil with mustard, mayonnaise, and Greek yogurt to make the dressing.
- If the dressing is too thick for you, thin it with extra oil.
- Toss the pasta salad with the creamy dressing.