Asian Pasta Salad
- By Amy Dong
- Updated Aug. 19, 2026
This Asian pasta salad is one of the only pasta salads my family actually loves. It comes together in under 30 minutes, holds up brilliantly in the fridge, and the sweet-savory sesame ginger dressing is so good you’ll want to drizzle it on everything.
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Amy’s Notes
Summer around here is all about soaking up every bit of sunshine we can get, which means I do not want to spend hours stuck over a hot stove. Plus, this is the only pasta salad my boys will actually eat seconds of. Here’s what you’ll love:
- Prep-Ahead Friendly: Make the dressing days in advance; it keeps well when covered airtight in the fridge for up to 10 days.
- Crunchy & Full of Texture: Packed with crisp veggies, edamame, and toasted almonds.
- Super Flexible: Perfectly scalable for big family cookouts or easy weekday lunches.
If you love easy, colorful sides like our Crunchy Thai Salad
or Easy Summer Pasta Salad, this one is going to be right up your alley!
Key Ingredients
For the dressing:
- Rice wine vinegar – Found in most stores’ Asian aisles and adds a nice tangy flavor to the dressing.
- Ginger – Grate for the best flavor.
- Garlic cloves – Mincing garlic brings out its best flavor.
- Sriracha – Just a splash adds a subtle kick of heat without making it overly spicy.
- Soy sauce – I use regular soy sauce, but even using low sodium here is fine. Both add a salty kick.
- Pure honey – A touch of honey balances out the tangy rice vinegar.
- Asian toasted sesame oil – Gives the dressing that rich, nutty flavor base—don’t swap for regular sesame oil!
- Sesame seeds – I toast them for the best flavor and it just takes a short time to do.
For the pasta salad:
- Rotini – Once cooked, drizzle a bit of olive oil to limit the noodles from sticking together.
- Cole slaw mix – A major shortcut that delivers maximum crunch with zero chopping needed.
- Red bell pepper – Remove the seeds and slice them thin to match the rest of the textures of the ingredients.
- Edamame – Adds a great pop of plant-based protein and vibrant green color.
- Green onion – Thinly sliced for maximum flavor.
- Fresh cilantro – Wash and chop finely so that it enhances but doesn’t overpower.
- Toasted Sliced Almonds: Adds that irresistible nutty crunch right before serving.
Substitutions and Variations
- Add Protein: Toss in shredded juicy chicken, sweet grilled shrimp, or cubed baked tofu.
- Make it Gluten-Free: Swap the rotini for your favorite gluten-free pasta spiral or rice noodles and use tamari instead of soy sauce.
- Switch up the Crunch: Swap sliced almonds for toasted cashews or crunchy wonton strips.
- More Veggies: Thinly sliced cucumber, snap peas, or shredded purple cabbage fit right in.
Step-by-Step Recipe Instructions
- Add all the ingredients for the dressing into a bowl and whisk to combine.
- Place the salad ingredients in a serving bowl, then pour the homemade dressing over the top and stir.
For full list of ingredients and instructions, see recipe card below.
How to Prep Ahead
- Whisk the Dressing: You can make the ginger sesame dressing up to 1 week in advance. Store it in a glass jar in the fridge and shake well before using.
- Chop the Veggies: Slice the bell peppers, green onions, and cilantro the day before. Keep them stored in airtight containers in the crisper drawer.
- Cook the Pasta: Boil the rotini a day ahead, toss with a touch of olive oil so it doesn’t clump, and chill.
- Assembly: Toss everything together right before serving, saving the almonds for the final garnish so they stay super crunchy!
Watch Us Make This Recipe
Asian Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the Dressing:
- ¼ cup seasoned rice wine vinegar, found in most stores’ Asian aisles
- 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons pure honey
- 3 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons Asian toasted sesame oil, caramel brown in color
- ⅓ cup olive oil, or canola oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
For Pasta Salad:
- 16 ounces rotini, cooked, drained ,and cooled (sprinkle with olive oil to prevent sticking)
- 16 ounces cole slaw mix, no dressing
- 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
- ½ cup edamame, pre-shelled
- ¼ cup green onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- ¼ cup almonds, toasted, sliced
Instructions
- Prep Ahead: In a bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients until well blended. Transfer to desired container and keep chilled until ready to use.
- When Ready to Serve: Toss together all salad ingredients, except for almonds, in a serving bowl. Gently toss in desired amount of dressing. Garnish with almonds and serve.
Notes
- Storage: Unused dressing can be kept in airtight container for several weeks in the fridge.
- Make this recipe gluten-free by using your favorite gluten-free pasta.
This version is meatless, but feel free to add pulled BBQ cooked chicken or tender lemon pepper shrimp if desired.
Nutrition (per serving)
What to Serve with Cold Pasta Salad?
Grilled Mains
Pair this fresh side with our Juicy Grilled Teriyaki Chicken or Easy Grilled Pork Chops.
Seafood
Works amazingly well alongside Pan-Seared Tilapia or Spicy Garlic Shrimp Kabobs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can toss the cooked pasta, veggies, and dressing together the day before. Just hold off on adding the toasted almonds until right before serving so they stay nice and crunchy.
Absolutely! While rotini is great for catching dressing, spaghetti, linguine, ramen noodles (discard the seasoning packet), or soba noodles all work fantastically well in this recipe.
Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. Give it a quick toss before eating to redistribute the dressing.
We love rotini because all those little spirals catch the sesame dressing perfectly! Farfalle (bowtie) or cavatappi also work wonderfully.
I don’t recommend freezing this dish. The raw crunchy cabbage and cooked pasta will lose their texture and turn soggy once thawed.
It’s best served chilled or at room temperature. Cooling the pasta fully before tossing it with the fresh veggies and dressing ensures the cabbage and peppers stay crisp and fresh.
More To Cook and Eat
- Crunchy Ramen Salad: Fast, crisp, and loaded with a sweet-savory dressing everyone loves.
- Sesame Noodle Salad: Smooth, tangy, and perfect for light warm-weather meals.
- Easy Thai Peanut Pasta Salad: Creamy peanut dressing meets tender noodles and crunchy veggies.
- Cold Asian Noodle Salad: Light, refreshing, and ideal for quick weekday meal prep.