Hawaiian Pasta Salad Ham (Printable)

Tropical-inspired pasta with ham, pineapple, crisp veggies, and a creamy ranch dressing blend.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz rotini or bow tie pasta
02 - 1 teaspoon salt for boiling water

→ Salad Mix-ins

03 - 7 oz cooked ham, diced
04 - 8 oz canned pineapple tidbits, drained
05 - 1 cup red bell pepper, diced
06 - ½ cup celery, finely chopped
07 - ½ cup red onion, finely diced
08 - ½ cup frozen peas, thawed

→ Dressing

09 - ½ cup ranch dressing
10 - ⅓ cup mayonnaise
11 - 1 tablespoon pineapple juice from can
12 - 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
13 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
14 - ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste

→ Garnish

15 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped

# How-To Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain in colander and rinse with cold water until cooled completely.
02 - Transfer cooled pasta to a large mixing bowl. Add ham, pineapple tidbits, red bell pepper, celery, red onion, and thawed peas. Mix gently to combine.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together ranch dressing, mayonnaise, pineapple juice, lime juice, black pepper, and salt until smooth and well blended.
04 - Pour prepared dressing over pasta mixture. Toss gently and thoroughly until all ingredients are evenly coated.
05 - Taste the salad and adjust seasoning as needed. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to allow flavors to meld.
06 - Remove from refrigerator and garnish with chopped parsley or cilantro immediately before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's the kind of dish that tastes like you fussed when you really just threw things together.
  • Makes a crowd happy without heating up your kitchen on hot days.
  • Tastes even better the next day, so stress-free entertaining actually works.
02 -
  • Don't skip the rinsing step after draining the pasta or you'll end up with a starchy, gluey mess instead of individual tender pieces.
  • The pineapple juice in the dressing isn't just flavor, it's the secret that keeps this from tasting like regular mayonnaise salad.
03 -
  • Buy pre-diced ham from the deli if you're short on time or patience, it's not cheating and it tastes just as good.
  • Make the dressing separately and store it in a jar so you can make the salad the day before and dress it the morning you're serving if that works better for your schedule.
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