This Hawaiian Pasta Salad is such an easy, delicious dish for barbecues, picnics, lunches or any time you want something fresh and satisfying. If you love the classic combination of ham and pineapple on a Hawaiian-style pizza, this cold pasta salad is a must-try, with all those sweet and savoury flavours in a creamy, crunchy salad.
Whenever we have friends over for a barbecue, I always like to make a few salads to go alongside everything else, and this one was an instant favourite. Packed with tender pasta, juicy pineapple, chunks of ham and plenty of chopped vegetables, it's a great way to add something colourful and tasty to the table that both adults and kids will happily dig into.
Calories in Hawaiian Pasta Salad
This recipe serves 3 and is 483 calories per serving
If you're looking for more recipes within the same calorie range, you'll find an abundance of options in my dedicated collection of 500+ calorie recipes.
If you're following a calorie-controlled diet or a healthy eating plan, it's important to calculate your daily calorie needs using a reliable calorie calculator. The calorie counts provided are estimates and can vary depending on the exact ingredients and portion sizes you use. Using your own calculations helps ensure you're meeting your individual needs. A calorie calculator can help you make informed choices and stay on track with your goals.
See the recipe card for full nutritional estimation.
Ingredients Notes
To make this recipe you will need the following ingredients:
- Pasta: I used farfalle bows, which work really well in this salad as they hold the creamy dressing nicely, but any short pasta shape will work.
- Thick ham: Thick diced ham adds a nice chunky bite and a savoury flavour that pairs perfectly with the sweetness of the pineapple.
- Fresh pineapple: Brings a juicy burst of sweetness and gives this pasta salad its Hawaiian-inspired flavour.
- Green onions: Add a mild onion flavour and a little freshness without being too overpowering.
- Carrot: Adds colour and a nice bit of crunch to the salad.
- Baby cucumbers: Keep the salad fresh and crisp, with a light crunch in every bite.
- Red pepper: Adds a pop of colour, natural sweetness and extra crunch.
- Red onion: Gives a little sharpness and balances the creaminess of the dressing.
- Sweetcorn: Adds extra sweetness and a nice juicy bite that works really well with the ham and pineapple.
- Light mayonnaise: Gives the dressing that classic creamy pasta salad texture while keeping it lighter.
- Fat free plain yoghurt: Helps lighten the dressing and adds a lovely creamy tang with less fat than using all mayonnaise.
- White vinegar: Adds a little acidity to brighten up all the flavours in the dressing.
- Dijon mustard: Gives the dressing a gentle tang and a little extra depth of flavour.
- Granulated sweetener: Balances the tanginess in the dressing and works well with the pineapple for that sweet and savoury combination.
- Onion powder: Adds extra savoury flavour to the dressing without the need for more chopped onion.
- Salt and black pepper: Essential for seasoning and bringing all the flavours together.
Once you've gathered all the ingredients and prepared them accordingly, you're all set to create this easy and delightful recipe.
See the recipe card for specific quantities and instructions.
Variations and Substitutes
This Hawaiian pasta salad is easy to adapt with a few simple swaps.
You can swap the ham for cooked chicken, turkey or crispy bacon, or leave it out for a vegetarian version and add a little extra sweetcorn or some diced cheese instead.
Fresh pineapple is best, but canned pineapple will work too, just make sure it is well drained. Any short pasta shape works well here, such as fusilli, penne, macaroni or shells.
You can also switch up the vegetables depending on what you have. Celery or shredded cabbage all work well, and yellow or orange pepper can be used instead of red pepper.
For the dressing, you can adjust the balance of light mayonnaise and fat free yoghurt to suit your taste. More mayonnaise will make it richer, while more yoghurt keeps it lighter and tangier. You can also use honey or maple syrup instead of the sweetener if you prefer.
What to Serve With Hawaiian Pasta Salad
This pasta salad works really well as part of a barbecue spread or as a side for easy summer meals.
It pairs perfectly with grilled chicken, burgers, sausages, kebabs or even some sticky glazed pork. It's also lovely alongside simple picnic favourites like sandwiches, wraps or cooked chicken drumsticks.
To round things out, I like to serve it with a leafy green salad, some corn on the cob or a crunchy slaw for a bit of extra freshness.
How to Store Hawaiian Pasta Salad
Store the Hawaiian pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge. Once fully chilled, give it a good stir before serving, as the dressing can thicken slightly as it sits.
For the best texture, it is ideal enjoyed within 2 to 3 days. The vegetables will still be fresh and crunchy, and the dressing will taste its best.
If you are making it ahead, you can also keep a little extra dressing aside to stir through before serving, which helps freshen it up again.
More Salad Recipes
The beauty of this Hawaiian Style Pasta Salad is that it can be made in advance and will keep a few days in the fridge and if you love salads, check out some of these:
See more Salad Recipes →
or if you would like more recipe ideas - head on over to the FULL RECIPE INDEX where you will find over 900 delicious recipes with calories and you can search by meal type, ingredients, course, diet and more.
All recipes on Slimming Eats have estimated nutritional information for your convenience.
Let's Connect!!
Come and follow me on:
You can also Subscribe to Slimming Eats so that you never miss any new updates.
Need some support on your weight loss journey? Maybe you need advice or tips on a recipe, or just general meal ideas.
Come join the friendly and supportive Slimming Eats Community on Facebook.
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, Rate It and Tag us in your Photos @SLIMMINGEATS on INSTAGRAM
Recipe Card
Hawaiian Pasta Salad
This Hawaiian Pasta Salad is a fresh, creamy and colourful side dish packed with ham, pineapple and crunchy vegetables, perfect for barbecues, picnics or easy lunches.
Ingredients
- 200g (7oz) of uncooked pasta (I used farfalle bows)
- 200g (7oz) of thick ham, diced
- 150g (5.5oz) of fresh pineapple, chopped
- 4 green (spring) onions, chopped
- 1 carrot, julienned
- 2 baby cucumbers, diced
- ½ red pepper, diced
- ½ small red onion diced
- ¾ cup (120g) of sweetcorn
- for the dressing:
- 4 tablespoons of light mayonnaise
- 1.5 cups (345g) of fat free plain yoghurt
- 1 tablespoon of white vinegar
- 2 teaspoon of dijon mustard
- 1.5 tablespoons of granulated sweetener
- 1.5 tsps of onion powder
- salt and black pepper to season
Instructions
- Add the pasta to a saucepan of boiling hot water, cook to al dente, then drain and set aside to cool.
- Combine all the ingredients for the dressing and whisk together well.
- Add all the chopped veg and ham to a large bowl with the pasta.
- Pour in the dressing and toss to coat.
- Season well with salt and black pepper
Notes
Please see below for full nutritional info and additional details about recipe:
- Calories - scroll down to nutritional info box
- WW Points and other Slimming or Weight Loss programs - due to plans regularly changing and updating, we recommend calculating with the official tools you get as a member to those plans to ensure accuracy of values.
Do not copy, paste, or post full recipes, screenshots, or any other content from Slimming Eats to social media or other websites. This is strictly prohibited. All recipes, text, and images on Slimming Eats are copyright protected.
Recipes are updated regularly with tips, improvements, and clarifications. Sharing screenshots or copied text outside this website can result in outdated or incomplete versions being used. To ensure the most accurate and up-to-date recipe, always share using the buttons at the top of the post, which link the user directly back to the recipe on Slimming Eats.
Nutritional information is an estimate and should be used for informational purposes only. Ingredient values vary by brand, so always calculate using the ingredients you use and the tools provided by your chosen programme.
It is the reader’s responsibility to ensure that any products or ingredients used in Slimming Eats recipes are allergen-free (for example gluten-free, egg-free, soy-free, and/or dairy-free). Slimming Eats assumes no liability for inaccuracies or misstatements about products, opinions, or comments on this site.
Check Legal section, for Full Disclaimer, Disclosure and Privacy Policy.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1 SERVINGAmount Per Serving Calories 258Total Fat 6gSaturated Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 26mgSodium 498mgCarbohydrates 39gFiber 3gSugar 16gProtein 15g
Nutritional information and values etc are an estimate and is to be used for informational purposes only. Ingredients can vary greatly from brand to brand and therefore it would be impossible to give accurate information. It is always advised that you calculate by the ingredients you use.
AJ says
Do you think fat free fromage frais would work in this dish in place of mayo? Or would it react against the pineapple?
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
Hi AJ. The mayonnaise is best, otherwise you won’t get quite the same creaminess/taste
Debbie Harrison says
Just made this with leftover Christmas gammon, it’s delicious thank you
Liz van Loon says
This was delicious. My husband loved it too. He is not on a diet and at times he won't eat the food!!
roseleen byrne says
loved this recipe it was very tasty.thanks a million for all your recipes
Jill says
Can you tell me if I can freeze this recipe
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
I wouldn't freeze this dish because of the yoghurt.
Sally Lee says
Looks a great recipe I’m going to try it for my picnic on Wednesday.
Jess says
Can you use tinned pineapple?
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
you sure can, I just prefer the taste of fresh