Coleslaw Pasta Salad

A bowl of pasta salad with coleslaw and a serving spoon with some salad on it.

Coleslaw Pasta Salad is a fun and delicious twist to traditional pasta salad. Ditalini pasta, crunchy coleslaw mix, hard-boiled eggs, and other mix-ins combine with a sweet & creamy mayonnaise based dressing.

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword coleslaw pasta salad, pasta salad

Prep Time 20

Fridge Time 4

Total Time 4 20

Servings

Calories 308kcal

Author Jessica

Ingredients

coleslaw pasta salad

1 box (16 oz) ditalini pasta
1 bag (14-16 oz) coleslaw mix
1 sweet onion finely chopped
2 celery ribs finely chopped
2 cucumbers peeled, seeded, & chopped
1 green pepper chopped small
1 can (8 oz) sliced water chestnuts drained & chopped small
3 hard boiled eggs chopped

dressing

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon salt (more as needed)
¼ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

Cook pasta in boiling water according to the package directions. When done, drain the pasta in a colander and rinse it under cold water. Set aside to cool sightly while you prepare and chop the remaining ingredients.
^{*Don't forget to add salt to the boiling water! I add 1-2 teaspoons kosher salt.}
1 box (16 oz) ditalini pasta
In a large mixing bowl, add the cooked pasta, coleslaw mix, sweet onion, celery, cucumbers, green pepper, water chestnuts, and hard-boiled eggs. Stir to combine together.
1 bag (14-16 oz) coleslaw mix, 1 sweet onion, 2 celery ribs, 2 cucumbers, 1 green pepper, 1 can (8 oz) sliced water chestnuts, 3 hard boiled eggs
In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together all the creamy dressing ingredients until smooth and combined.
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper
Pour the dressing over top the coleslaw pasta salad and mix together until thoroughly combined.
Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 4-6 hours before serving chilled.

Video

Notes

- Prepare this salad ahead of time so it has at least 4 hours in the fridge before serving. It's so much better after it has chilled. You can serve it right away if you want, but we think it's so much better chilled after a few hours fridge time. I don't recommend making it the night before, or else the pasta salad will soak up all the dressing and it will become too thick. For best presentation, taste, and texture for serving - I recommend only letting it chill for 4-6 hours.

- If you want an amazing pasta salad then using full-fat mayonnaise is a must!

- Try to chop everything into small pieces so you gets some of everything in each bite. I prefer small cuts when it comes to pasta salad so I keep things pretty finely chopped when I make this.

- For whatever reason, I have seen 14 ounce bags of coleslaw and 16 ounce bags. Either one works fine in the recipe, so whatever size your grocery store sells, use that one. But make sure it's in that 14-16 ounce range.
- Leftovers are still delicious and surprisingly, the salad stays well in the fridge while still maintaining some of the coleslaw crunch.

Nutrition