Of all the cold pasta salad recipes out there, this might be my very favorite! It’s easy, uses my favorite ingredients and comes together in minutes. Besides, you can change it up based on what you have at home! Absolutely the Best California Club Pasta Salad Recipe – Easy that you’ll find anywhere!
Easy California Club Pasta Salad Recipe
My family loves this delicious summer salad. It’s a pasta salad that’s perfect for all kinds of occasions like lazy summer days as a cool-off treat, Easy Fourth of July Appetizers, before soccer practices or even as a nearly complete meal!
This pasta salad comes from one of my favorite sandwiches: the California Club. It’s probably one of yours too. It has delicious ingredients like red onion, red tomato, salty bacon, avocado, rotisserie chicken, crunchy lettuce and savory cheese all served on several layers of your favorite toast.
In fact, I saw someone on TikTok – make a similar pasta salad and that gave me this idea. I can’t wait for you to try it.
This classic California Pasta Salad uses most of those same ingredients as the sandwich but you can substitute things like cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, chicken breast, and other fresh vegetables. It’s such an easy and simple recipe.
There’s Only Three Steps
Step 1. Cook the pasta, drain pasta and let it cool completely.
Step 2. Chop the other ingredients.
Steps 3. In a big bowl, mix the ingredients together and store in the refrigerator.
Step 1.
Step 2.
Steps 3.
You Need Simple Kitchen Items
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Large Bowl
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Rubber Spatula
Tips and Tricks
It’s easy to make a perfect pasta salad with this California Club Pasta Salad because it’s so versatile! You can throw in lots of ingredients based on what you love!
We love tossing in some boiled eggs, black olives, red bell peppers, or any colorful vegetable.
Here are a few more helpful tips to make yours perfect.
- Cook the pasta to the “al dente” stage (which means it isn’t all soft) and then rinse with cold water.
- To cool faster, put some ice cubes in the strainer and allow it to rest in the sink while you are preparing the other ingredients.
- For a lower-calorie diet, try using Italian dressing instead of the mayonnaise and ranch packet.
- We like chunks of chicken in ours but sometimes I leave that out so that it doesn’t become too filling.
- If you don’t have the homemade ranch dressing ingredients, you can use a bottle of ranch dressing.
- The avocado browns quickly, cut that up and add it at the last minute, or leave it off altogether if you are taking this salad to a cookout.
Substitutions for California Club Pasta Salad
Onion – Use red onion, green onion, yellow or white onions, simply cut to a size that is palatable for pasta salad.
Lettuce – A good crunchy lettuce like Romaine lettuce seems to work the best but kale torn up small or spinach will work too!
Meat – If meat isn’t your thing, you can always leave it off or use a meatless substitute.
Ranch Dressing – If you don’t like to use the ranch dressing packet, you can always use the bottled dressing OR you can substutite something like Zesty Italian Salad Dressing.
Cheese – I like to use an American or Cheddar Cheese, but that is a personal preference, use goat cheese, blue cheese or even parmesan cheese.
Pasta – I’m using the macaroni noodles here but any noodles that cradles the sauce will work perfectly!
Bacon – Use a crisp bacon. Turkey bacon is fine as is bacon bits (vegetarian option)
Frequently Asked Questions
If kept covered in the fridge, it lasts up to 5 days.
No, it has mayo in it and therefore it doesn’t freeze well.
Yes, that works out just fine.
Yes, many people love canned tuna in this Recipe.
Here I Am Making This California Club Pasta Salad
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Want more pasta salad recipes? Check out our Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad or discover all the secrets to the best pasta salad!
Best California Club Pasta Salad Recipe – Easy
Ingredients
- 16 oz macaroni noodles
- 1 Tbs Kosher Salt divided
- 1 avocado chopped
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 Tomato diced
- 4 slices deli chicken chopped – can use chicken, turkey, ham, etc.
- 4 slices crunchy bacon chopped
- 1 cup Baby Spinach
- 1/2 purple onion diced
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
Sauce
- 1 Cup Mayonnaise
- 1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
- 2 Tbs Milk optional – to thin sauce if needed
Instructions
- Cook the macaroni noodles according to package instructions to al dente use 2 tsp kosher salt in the cooking water.
- Drain the noodles in a strainer and rinse with cold water. Add ice cubes to the strainer and mix them into the noodles. Allow strainer to sit in the sink and drain.
- Chop and cut up the remaining in ingredients. Set aside. *See notes about avocado.
- Mix the sauce and set aside. Add the milk if needed to thin the sauce.
- Once the pasta is cooled, remove any remaining ice cubes. In a large bowl mix the macaroni noodles, the veggies and other ingredients. Pour the sauce over the top and mix well with rubber spatula.
- 6. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Notes
- Cook the pasta to the “al dente” stage (means it isn’t all soft) and then rinse with cold water.
- To cool faster, put some ice cubes in the strainer and allow it to rest in the sink while you are preparing the other ingredients.
- For a lower calorie diet, try using Italian dressing instead of the mayonnaise and ranch packet.
- We like chunks of chicken in ours but sometimes I leave that out so that it doesn’t become too filling.
- If you don’t have the homemade ranch dressing ingredients, you can use a bottle of ranch dressing.
- The avocado browns quickly, cut that up and add it at the last minute or leave it off altogether if you are taking this salad to a cookout.
Nutrition
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Ephesians 4:32
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you
