Hawaiian Pasta Salad Ham Pineapple (Printable)

Tropical pasta tossed with ham, pineapple, crisp veggies, and a creamy dressing for fresh flavors.

# Components:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz rotini or bow tie pasta
02 - 1 teaspoon salt for boiling water

→ Salad Mix-ins

03 - 7 oz cooked ham, diced
04 - 8 oz canned pineapple tidbits, drained
05 - 1 cup red bell pepper, diced
06 - ½ cup celery, finely chopped
07 - ½ cup red onion, finely diced
08 - ½ cup frozen peas, thawed

→ Dressing

09 - ½ cup ranch dressing
10 - ⅓ cup mayonnaise
11 - 1 tablespoon pineapple juice reserved from can
12 - 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
13 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
14 - ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste

→ Garnish

15 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped

# Method:

01 - Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Allow to cool completely.
02 - In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta, ham, pineapple tidbits, red bell pepper, celery, red onion, and peas.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the ranch dressing, mayonnaise, pineapple juice, lime juice, black pepper, and salt until smooth and well combined.
04 - Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture. Toss gently until all ingredients are evenly coated with dressing.
05 - Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to allow flavors to meld.
06 - Garnish with chopped parsley or cilantro just before serving if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 30 minutes, meaning you can show up to any gathering looking like you spent all day cooking.
  • The sweet and savory balance is so addictive that people won't realize half the appeal is the freshness of lime juice cutting through the richness.
  • It tastes even better the next day once the flavors have had time to get cozy with each other in the fridge.
02 -
  • If you forget to drain the pineapple properly, the whole salad becomes watery and sad by the next day; squeeze that liquid out like you mean it.
  • Cold pasta is non-negotiable here; warm pasta will melt the mayo and turn the dressing thin and slick instead of creamy and coating.
  • Taste the dressing before it touches the pasta because once it's all mixed in, adjusting the seasoning becomes tricky and you might over-salt.
03 -
  • Make the dressing in a mason jar and shake it instead of whisking; it's faster and you can store it separately if you're prepping ahead, then toss it with the pasta an hour before serving.
  • Buy pre-cut vegetables from the salad bar if you're short on time; nobody knows except you, and it's worth the sanity on a busy week.
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