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My keto pasta salad recipe combines keto pasta with cheese, salami, and olives, tossed with a zesty dressing. It’s a foolproof appetizer or side dish with only 3 grams of net carbs.
I know that pasta salad and a keto diet sound like an oxymoron, but once you try my keto pasta salad recipe, you’ll think otherwise.
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. It’s one of my favorite keto salads because it also works just as well as a meal. It’s one of the few dishes that no one will know its low carb!
Table of Contents
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.
- 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.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“I made this for a friend’s potluck and no one could tell it was low carb. It was such a hit, it’s become my new go-to pasta salad.” – Mario
Key Ingredients
- Keto macaroni pasta. I used Great Low Carb Bakery rotini pasta because 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.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How to make keto pasta salad
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.
Low carb pasta salad variations
- 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 and make ahead
To store: Pasta salad should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
To make ahead: I’ve had success making this pasta salad up to 48 hours in advance. Simply keep it covered in the fridge until ready to serve.
More keto salads
- Keto potato salad
- Keto chicken salad
- Spinach salad with warm bacon dressing
- Big Mac salad
- Steak salad
If you tried this Keto Pasta Salad recipe or any other recipe on The Big Man’s World, please rate the recipe and let me know how it went in the comments below. It really helps others thinking of making the recipe.
Keto Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 16 ounces keto pasta * See notes
- 1/2 cup black olives sliced
- 1/2 cup green olives sliced
- 1 cup grape tomatoes halved
- 1/2 large red onion chopped
- 1/2 cup mozzarella balls or baby boccocini
- 1 cup Salami chopped
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1/2 cup keto salad dressing
Instructions
- Cook your pasta as directed, until just al dente. Drain and set aside for 10 minutes.
- Add the pasta to a mixing bowl. Add the black olives, green olives, grape tomatoes, red onion, mozzarella cheese, salami, and parmesan cheese. Add the dressing and mix until just incorporated.
- Transfer to a salad bowl and serve immediately, or refrigerate it for at least an hour, to chill.
I actually bought only once keto pasta (like cognac pasta). It was good and interesting.
So “baby boccocini” is actually small bowlss of mozzarella? I like those soooo much.
This I must prepare for friend that is on keto high fat diet !