This Ham Pasta Salad has been on my cookout menu for years, and guests always come back for seconds. Savory ham, crisp vegetables, sharp cheddar, and a creamy herb dressing that clings to each bite — whether you’re serving it as a picnic side or packing it up for lunch during the week.
Before You Start Cooking
- Ham. A fully cooked ham steak from the grocery store works great here, or use leftover baked ham from a holiday dinner. (It’s one of my favorite ways to use up Easter or Christmas ham.) You want slices about ½ inch thick (not thin-sliced deli ham) so the cubes hold their shape in the salad.
- Pasta. I like to use pipette pasta for this salad — sometimes called “shellbows” because they resemble a cross between shells and elbow macaroni. Their curved shape and hollow nooks are great for capturing dressing and bits of the other mix-ins. You can also use medium shells, elbow macaroni, or farfalle.
- Plan ahead. This salad needs 4 hours in the refrigerator before serving. You’ll also hold back some of the dressing when you first mix everything together, then stir it in right before serving to ensure it stays creamy.
How to Make Ham Pasta Salad
Step 1: Cook and Cool the Pasta
Cook the pasta in a large pot of well-salted boiling water until just past al dente — a minute or two beyond the package’s suggested time. You want it tender, but not so soft it starts to split. (Pasta that’s too firm will turn gummy once chilled.)
Instead of rinsing the pasta after cooking, as in many pasta salad recipes, drain it well and transfer it hot to a large mixing bowl. Add the apple cider vinegar and toss gently to coat.
The hot pasta absorbs the vinegar as it cools, seasoning it all the way through. This is the same technique I use in my macaroni salad for the perfect pop of tang in each bite.
Let the pasta cool at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Gently toss it with a rubber spatula a few times as it cools to be sure the vinegar is distributed evenly. By the time it’s cooled, you shouldn’t see any vinegar pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
Step 2: Prep the Ham and Veggies
While the pasta cooks and cools, prep your add-ins. (I always start this while bringing the pot of water to a boil.)
- Ham. Cut into about a 1/3-inch dice. If you’re using glazed holiday ham, trim away the glazed portions before dicing, so the pasta salad doesn’t become too sweet.
- Bell pepper. Seed and cut into a small dice. I like using half red and half green for a balance of color and flavor—red peppers are sweeter, green peppers are a little more savory. All of one variety works too, keeping those flavor differences in mind.
- Roma tomatoes. Halve them, scoop out the seeds and watery pulp, then cut into a 1/4-inch dice. Removing the seeds keeps the salad from getting watery as it chills.
- Celery. Dice finely. For cold dishes like pasta salad, I like to peel away the tougher outer strings on the stalk first for the best texture.
- Onion. I use sweet Vidalia onions and grate them on the large holes of a box grater. This will release some juice — a little is fine to add in with the onion, but drain off any excess.
- Cheddar cheese. Like the ham, dice it into 1/3-inch pieces. I most often use sharp cheddar here, but have also made it with extra-sharp for a more pronounced flavor.
Step 3: Make the Dressing
After prepping the add-ins, make the creamy dressing that will bring this Ham Pasta Salad together. Whisk together the following in a medium bowl until well combined:
- Mayonnaise. I use full-fat Hellmann’s in this recipe for a rich and creamy base.
- Sour cream. Full-fat here too. I use Daisy. It lightens the dressing slightly while keeping it creamy.
- Dijon mustard. Adds depth and a subtle tang without making the dressing taste assertively mustardy. I use Maille.
- Granulated sugar. Just enough to balance the salty, savory flavors of the ham and cheese. If using a sweet or glazed ham, you might want to slightly reduce the amount of sugar.
- Seasonings. Granulated garlic powder, kosher salt, and freshly-ground black pepper.
- Fresh herbs. Finely chopped dill and flat-leaf parsley.
Step 4: Assemble the Pasta Salad and Chill
Once the pasta has absorbed the vinegar, add the ham, vegetables, and about two-thirds of the dressing. Toss gently to combine, then fold in the cheddar cheese cubes.
Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours before serving, until the salad is well chilled. The pasta will absorb some of the dressing as it chills, giving it great flavor.
Keep the reserved dressing covered in the fridge until you’re ready to serve the pasta salad.
Step 5: Finish
When you’re ready to serve, stir in the reserved dressing, adding as much or as little as you like. I’ve found that different pasta shapes and brands absorb dressing at different rates, so you might not need all of it. The brands I use typically take the whole quantity.
If you don’t use all of the dressing, don’t throw it away. Keep it covered in the fridge in case you need to refresh the salad as it sits.
Taste the pasta salad and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper before serving.
Serving Ham Pasta Salad
I love serving Ham Pasta Salad for summer cookout or potluck, and just as good packed up for lunch during the week.
It pairs well with grilled burgers, hot dogs, or chicken, as well as other classic cookout sides like coleslaw or potato salad.
Give it a good stir before transferring to a serving bowl, and garnish with a little extra chopped fresh dill or parsley. Serve it well chilled and keep it refrigerated right up until you’re ready to put it out.
Food safety note: Because this salad contains mayonnaise and meat, it should not sit out at room temperature for more than 2 hours. On a hot day (above 90°F), that window shortens to 1 hour.
If you’re serving it outdoors, consider nesting the bowl in a larger bowl of ice to keep it cold, or use a covered, insulated serving bowl.
Storage Tips
Leftover Ham Pasta Salad keeps in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It’s best the day it’s made, but when we’ve had leftovers, they’ve been just as popular in my house.
Before serving, give it a stir. The pasta will continue to absorb the dressing as it sits — if it looks a little dry, stir in a small spoonful of mayo or sour cream to make it creamy again.
I don’t recommend freezing this salad. The mayo-and-sour-cream dressing doesn’t hold up well once thawed, and the pasta’s texture suffers.
More Creamy Pasta Salad Recipes
Ham Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the Pasta Salad
- 8 ounces dried pipette pasta (see Note 1)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (see Note 2)
- 2 cups diced fully cooked ham steak (about a ⅓ inch dice, see Note 3)
- 1 cup diced bell pepper (about ¼ inch dice, see Note 4)
- 1 cup seeded and diced Roma tomatoes (1½ to 2 tomatoes, depending on size)
- ¼ cup small diced celery (see Note 5)
- ¼ cup grated Vidalia onion (see Note 6)
- 8 ounces cubed sharp cheddar cheese (about ⅓-inch cubes, see Note 7)
For the Dressing
- ⅔ cup mayonnaise (I use Hellmann's)
- ⅓ cup sour cream (I use Daisy)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon granulated garlic powder
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until it's tender, but not falling apart, about 1 to 2 minutes past al dente.
- Drain the pasta well and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the apple cider vinegar, toss to coat, and let cool at room temperature for 10 minutes, gently stirring occasionally. There should be no vinegar left at the bottom of the bowl.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon mustard, parsley, dill, sugar, granulated garlic powder, ½ to ¾ teaspoon kosher salt (see Note 8), and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
- Add the ham, bell peppers, tomatoes, celery, and onion to the bowl with the pasta. Add two-thirds of the dressing and toss until everything is well coated, then fold in the cheddar cheese cubes. (Note that if you taste the salad at this point, it will taste more vinegary than it will after resting.)
- Cover the pasta salad and refrigerate for 4 hours. Cover the remaining dressing and refrigerate it separately.
- Remove the salad from the refrigerator and stir in the reserved dressing, adding as much or as little as needed. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper before serving. The amount of salt you need will vary depending on the saltiness of your pasta cooking water and ham.
- Serve chilled. Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Please note that our recipes have been developed using the US Customary measurement system and have not been tested for high altitude/elevation cooking and baking.
