Keto Pasta Salad

My keto pasta salad recipe combines al dente keto pasta with cheese, salami, and olives, all enveloped in a simple salad dressing. It’s a foolproof appetizer or side dish with only 3 grams of net carbs. 

Need more foolproof keto veggie sides? Try my keto coleslaw, cauliflower potato salad, or keto green bean casserole next.

For the longest time, the only salad I’d willingly eat was pasta salad. Thankfully, I’ve expanded my horizons (a bit), but pasta salad is still a go-to side in my house. 

For this recipe, I combined al dente keto macaroni noodles with two kinds of cheese, plus salami and fresh veggies, to make a filling and flavorful side. Everything’s tossed in a simple Italian dressing to infuse every bite with flavor.

Table of Contents

1. Why I love this recipe
2. Ingredients needed
3. How to make low carb pasta salad
4. Arman’s recipe tips
5. Storage instructions
6. More keto side dish recipes
7. Keto Pasta Salad (Recipe Card)

Why I love this recipe

• Easy to customize. Don’t have every ingredient I list? Fear not! Just use whatever you have in your fridge to make it work. This dish is all about convenience. 
• Perfect for lunch or as a side dish. Pair it with almost anything, or enjoy it as a standalone lunch. 
• It’s great for meal prep. An extra day or two gives the dressing time to soak in and develop even more flavor. 
• You can serve it warm or cold. When it’s fresh, I like to serve it warm, but when I’m hosting, I like to make it ahead of time and serve it cold. 

Ingredients needed

• Keto macaroni pasta. I used Great Low Carb Bakery rotini pasta because I believe it has the closest taste and texture to real macaroni. If you want to make your own, try my almond flour pasta recipe.
• Grape tomatoes. Sliced in half. I prefer grape tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes) over regular ones as they won’t get squished. 
• Mozzarella cheese. I prefer fresh mozzarella balls (also known as mozzarella pearls). You can also use baby bocconcini if you can’t find the pearls. 
• Olives. Use a mix of black olives and green olives, pitted and sliced. 
• Red onion. A must for any good pasta salad. 
• Salami. Optional, but it adds protein and also some essential salt. Deli sausage or pepperoni also works. 
• Italian dressing. The staple for a pasta salad. Alternatively, you can combine red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil or make any of my keto salad dressings.
• Parmesan cheese. Freshly grated. 

How to make low carb pasta salad

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step 1- Cook the pasta. Boil the keto pasta to al dente, drain, and transfer to a large bowl. 

Step 2- Mix. Add the pasta and remaining ingredients (except the dressing) and combine. Toss in the dressing. 

Step 3- Serve. Serve the salad as is, or keep it in the fridge until cold. 

Arman’s recipe tips

• Swap the veggies. Try sliced bell peppers, cucumber, fresh basil, or zucchini. 
• The pasta should be mostly cooled before mixing. Otherwise, you risk melting the mozzarella cheese.
• If you’re not serving it immediately, I suggest drizzling a little EVOO over the pasta to prevent it from becoming overly starchy and sticky. 

Storage instructions

To store: Pasta salad should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 4-5 days.

To freeze: Place leftover salad in a shallow container and store it in the freezer for up to 2 months. The salad must be thawed completely before serving. 

More keto side dish recipes

• Keto cauliflower mac and cheese
• Keto cheese bread
• Keto creamed spinach
• Keto cornbread
• Or any of these keto side dishes