This cold Asian pasta salad recipe mixes tender noodles with crisp veggies and a bright ginger sesame dressing that makes every bite feel fresh and easy. It tastes like a cross between a light asian noodle salad and cold sesame noodles, giving you a flavorful option that works as a side, lunch meal prep, or part of delicious dinner recipes. You'll get asian salad ideas, make ahead tips, and simple ways to turn it into a reliable choice for work meals or busy weeknights. Pin this Asian salad now so you always have a unique, crowd-pleasing summer side dish ready when you need it.

Why this is the best Asian pasta salad recipe

This healthy pasta salad recipe is simple and easy. Cook the pasta, toss everything together in a bowl, then refrigerate. That's all there is to it!

Asian pasta salad is very quick to put together. This is easily a 20-minute recipe, tops.

This recipe uses just a few common, inexpensive ingredients. This recipe is very simple and uses ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. You can find all the ingredients in most local grocery stores or on Amazon.

Asian pasta salad is healthy. This easy pasta dish is made from fresh whole ingredients, and there is no added sugar. You can feel good about feeding this pasta salad to your kids because it's loaded with nutrients!

What you'll need to make a cold pasta salad recipe - Asian style

Equipment

4-quart pot - I recommend a nice, large pot to cook your pasta.

Ingredients

See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for all measurements and nutritional information.

penne pasta - You can really use whatever pasta you want for this pasta salad. Spaghetti, corkscrews, chow mein noodles, rice noodles - whatever you want. We have used penne in this recipe.
red cabbage - This needs to be shredded. If you want to shortcut, you can buy a coleslaw mix at the grocery store which will be mostly green and red cabbage with a handful of shredded carrots.
carrots - You can buy grated or shredded carrots in the produce section or grate your own with a box grater.
green onions - These add a nice burst of flavor to the salad.
fried wonton strips - You can leave these out if you need to, but I would recommend replacing them with chopped peanuts because you will miss the crunch they offer.
toasted sesame seeds - If you can't find toasted sesame seeds, you can toast your own by placing them in a dry skillet over medium-high heat and toss them around until they're uniformly golden.
fresh cilantro - Chop or snip this with scissors. If you don't like cilantro, you can use parsley. They are closely related but generally people who don't like cilantro can still enjoy parsley.
low sodium soy sauce - I prefer the flavor of low sodium soy sauce to the traditional. If you prefer regular, feel free to use it.
sesame ginger dressing - I make this myself using this recipe.

How to make Asian-style summer pasta salad

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Add the pasta and cook per the package directions, to al dente (usually 9-10 minutes). Drain and rinse under cold water.
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While the pasta is cooking, chop and prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Add the rinsed pasta, shredded red cabbage, cilantro, green onions, carrots, fried wonton strips, and sesame seeds to a large salad bowl. Toss together.
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Mix the soy sauce and sesame ginger dressing together. Pour over the salad and toss until evenly distributed.
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Cover the salad, and refrigerate for 2 hours to overnight.

Why do I need to refrigerate before serving? With any pasta salad like this, those flavors will marry together and become more pronounced after sitting for a period of time. Overnight is best, but even just two hours will make a huge difference in the flavors.

Can I make Asian pasta salad ahead? This dressing tastes best if it sits for a couple of hours to overnight, so it's a great make-ahead recipe! Make it up to 2 days in advance and just give it a good toss a couple times a day, and when you're ready to serve, to redistribute the dressing.

Substitutions & variations

This recipe is pictured with penne pasta, but you can use any type of pasta you'd like: spaghetti, linguini, chow mein noodles, or even rice noodles.

You can add extra veggies! Red or green peppers, green beans fresh mushrooms, cucumbers, and sugar snap peas are all delicious in this fresh salad.

You can add protein, either mixed in with the veggies or on top when you serve: sesame chicken, sriracha shrimp, grilled shrimp, tofu, crispy chickpeas, or steak slices would be delicious.

If you'd like some heat, add sliced jalapeños or another hot pepper.

You can add chopped peanuts with the crispy wonton strips.

Storing leftovers

Once assembled, store the Asian pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

I wouldn't recommend freezing a pasta salad, as when it thaws it the texture will be weird.

Asian Pasta Salad

Why this is the best Asian pasta salad recipe