Salmon Pasta Salad (Easy Family Meal)

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This delicious hot smoked Salmon Pasta Salad is the perfect addition to your meal rotation.

Oval platter of rigatoni pasta mixed with cherry tomatoes, salmon pieces, and fresh herbs, placed on a gray surface with a lemon, napkin, and utensils nearby.

It features garlicky, blistered tomatoes in their juices, shredded hot smoked salmon, and red onion. Top it off with a fresh and zesty lemon and dill vinaigrette.

This flavorful pasta salad is a family favorite and so easy to make ahead. The best part is you can enjoy it hot or cold, and it actually gets better the longer all the flavors can marinate.

Recipe Tip

Pair it with my easy focaccia and serve it for lunch, dinner, or the next time you are feeding a crowd.

Close-up of rigatoni pasta mixed with cherry tomatoes, shredded salmon, and garnished with fresh dill on a light-colored plate.

❤️Why You’ll Love Salmon Pasta Salad

Crowdpleasing, easy meal.
Serve it hot or cold.
Customizable.
Meal prep-friendly.

Salmon Pasta Salad Ingredients

Hot smoked salmon: I buy the plain kind, but you can substitute it with the pepper or garlic flavored hot smoked salmon.
Pasta: I recommend a pasta shape that will soak up the flavors. I use Tubetti, but you can use any small pasta shape you have on hand.
Grape tomatoes: I use a small-sized tomato for this recipe. Grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, or pear tomatoes will all work.
Balsamic glaze, olive oil, and garlic: Add these to the tomatoes before roasting to enhance their natural sweetness.
Red onion: I dice the onion finely so the taste isn’t too dominant.
Fresh dill, olive oil, maple syrup, lemon juice, and white wine vinegar: Combine to create a sweet and sour dressing that complements the salty salmon and sweet roasted tomatoes.

How to Make Salmon Pasta Salad

A metal tray filled with halved grape tomatoes, placed on a gray surface next to a textured cloth.

Prepare the ingredients. Bake the tomatoes, cook the pasta, and mix the ingredients for the vinaigrette.

A hand pours green vinaigrette from a glass into a metal bowl containing pasta, baked grape tomatoes, red onion, and pieces of salmon.

Assemble the salad. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and pour the dressing on top.

A person uses scissors to cut fresh dill over a plate of tubetti pasta with blistered grape tomatoes and hot smoked salmon. A small white bowl with sea salt sits nearby on a gray surface.

Serve. Arrange the pasta salad on a platter. Sprinkle with fresh dill.

Tips for Success

Cook the pasta for 1-2 minutes longer than al dente, so it has a soft bite if you want to serve the salad cold as well.
Be sure to add the juices from the roasted tomatoes to the pasta salad!

Possible Variations

Pasta: Tubetti pasta is excellent to use for pasta salads, as it soaks up all the ingredients. Macaroni, Orecchiette, Conchiglie, and orzo (among others) are other great options.
Hot smoked salmon: Swap for tinned tuna or shredded chicken.
Grape tomatoes: If you want to save time, skip roasting and serve them raw. Swap for green peas, celery, or asparagus.
Red onion: Soak your red onion in cold water for 15-20 minutes for a less pungent flavor. You can also use shallots or white onions, or omit onions altogether.
Dill: Substitute with other fresh herbs, such as basil, green onions, coriander, or parsley.
Dressing: Add 1-2 tablespoons of sour cream or mayonnaise for a creamy dressing.