Sweet Chilli Pasta Salad is a really tasty and filling salad. It’s a combination of cooked pasta pieces and chopped fresh salad vegetables. The salad is dressed with a creamy sweet chilli dressing to make a quick and easy salad, you’ll want to make again and again.
What is a pasta salad?
Pasta Salad is a mixture of cold-cooked pasta, a dressing and other ingredients such as vegetables, cheese and even cubed meats. Traditional Italian cooks will throw up their hands in horror at the idea of a pasta or macaroni salad. It’s really not part of their cuisine and the dish seems to originate in America in the early 20th century.
Why make Sweet Chilli Pasta Salad?
Sweet Chilli Pasta Salad is a salad or different textures as well as tastes. Florence fennel provides a distinctive mild aniseed flavour, as well as a fresh crunch. Sweet ripe tomatoes add a little acidity and the crunchy walnuts add another texture as well as a rich nutty taste.
It’s the dressing that really brings this salad together with creamy mayonnaise and the sweet heat of chilli jam.
What ingredients do I need to make Sweet Chilli Pasta Salad?
Most of the ingredients for this salad are easily available in markets and supermarkets. You may already have many of them in your larder and refrigerator. Here is what you need:
- pasta
- tomato
- spring onions
- cucumber
- fennel bulb
- walnut pieces
- mayonnaise
- natural yogurt
- sweet chilli jam or sweet chilli sauce
- honey
- salt
- freshly ground pepper
What kind of pasta should I use?
Use the best quality pasta you can afford. Pasta is an ingredient which is widely available but it’s not all the same. One of the keys to a really good pasta salad is good quality pasta because the better the pasta the less likely it is to go soggy. It’s also important to cook the pasta until it is only just cooked or al dente, you really don’t want it to be waterlogged.
I like to use farfalle pasta which is shaped like bows or butterflies, but any short pasta can be used in a pasta salad. Short curled macaroni is also a good choice, particularly as the dressing can gather inside the tubes as well as coat them.
What kind of tomatoes should I use for the salad?
I use small ripe vine tomatoes. They can be cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes or mini plum tomatoes. If you don’t have small tomatoes you can cut up larger ones, but I recommend that you remove the seeds from larger tomatoes as they can make the salad too wet.
What is fennel?
Florence fennel (Finocchio) is a bulbous white and green vegetable with curving stalks covered with fern-like fronds. Eat it raw and it is similar in texture to celery with a distinctive crunch, it can also be brasied and served as a side dish or added to soups and stews.
Fennel has a mild aniseed flavour and is actually a member of the carrot family. There is also a herb called fennel which has long fern like fronds and also tastes like aniseed but is use the fennel bulb in this recipe.
What can I substitute for fennel?
This salad is very flexible so you can make substitutes that suit your tastes. Aniseed is a flavour that divides people so if it’s not for you or your family I recommend that you try the following as substitutes:
- Celery
- Finely diced raw carrot
- Finely diced red (bell) pepper
- Diced apple (dip in lemon juice to prevent browning)
What are walnuts?
Walnuts are the edible seeds of the Walnut Tree. They have a hard outer shell and inside the nut is light brown and looks wrinkled. Walnuts are full of oil and have a rich taste with a slightly bitter edge that makes them ideal with the sweet dressing of this salad.
What can I substitute for walnuts?
Walnuts are readily available but if you want to make the salad and don’t have any walnuts, you can substitute other types of nuts. Pecan nuts are the most like walnuts although they have a slightly sweeter taste. Hazelnuts also work well in this salad, especially if you lightly toast them in a dry frying pan.
What kind of sweet chilli jam or sauce should I use?
I make my own Tomato Chilli Jam and Pineapple Chilli Jam. Both of these are ideal to add to the dressing. If you haven’t made your own then you can certainly buy sweet chilli jam or use the sweet chilli sauce most often used as a dipping sauce or in Asian recipes.
Can I prepare Sweet Chilli Pasta Salad ahead of time?
It’s best to make the salad at least 20 minutes before you plan to serve it. That gives the flavours time to mingle and mellow. You can make the salad up to 2 hours before serving, although I recommend that you only add the nuts just before serving to keep them crisp and crunchy.
Can I freeze Sweet Chilli Pasta Salad?
Sweet Chilli Pasta Salad is not suitable for freezing.
Vegetarian
This recipe is suitable for a vegetarian diet.
Gluten Free
I use pasta made with wheat but you could substitute gluten-free pasta. Please also check the mayonnaise and chilli jam for any ingredients that may not be suitable for a GF diet.
For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.
How do I serve Sweet Chilli Pasta Salad?
Sweet Chilli Pasta Salad is ideal as an appetiser or for quick lunch with some salad leaves. Serve it with cold meats such as ham or chicken or with tarts like my Tomato Tart with Olives or Courgette and Feta Tart. It’s also a good salad to serve as part of a buffet or at a barbeque.
More Salad Recipes from Farmersgirl Kitchen
Greek Salad is a delicious fresh salad made with feta cheese, olives and tomatoes. It’s full of Mediterranean flavours and so easy to put together. It’s ideal as an appetiser or serve it as a side dish with fish or meat dishes.
Beetroot Chorizo & Feta Salad is a wonderful plate of tastes and textures. The beetroot brings a sweet earthy flavour, the chorizo is crisp and spicy and the feta brings a salty, creamy luxury to this simple salad plate.
Stuffed Tomatoes with Tuna are a delicious Italian-style dish that makes a simple summer appetiser. It is also ideal for lunch or supper or as part of a buffet served with other salads.
More Pasta Salad Recipes
- Caesar Pasta Salad – Little Sunny Kitchen
- Greek Pasta Salad – Hungry Healthy Happy
- Chilli Prawn and Pasta Salad – Fab Food 4 All
- Sicilian Pasta Salad – Tin & Thyme
- Dill Pickle Pasta Salad – Recipes from a Pantry
- Vegetarian Vermicelli Pasta Bowl – Simply Food
PIN FOR LATER
Sweet Chilli Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 225 grams (3.75 cups) good quality pasta
- 1 (1) large tomato chopped
- 2 (2) spring onions chopped
- 1/4 (1/4) cucumber diced
- 1/2 (1/2) fennel bulb chopped
- 50 grams (0.3 cups) walnut pieces
Dressing
- 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoon (3 tablespoon) natural yogurt
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) chilli jam or sweet chilli sauce
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) honey
- 1/4 tsp (1/4 tsp) salt
- 1/4 tsp (1/4 tsp) freshly ground pepper
Instructions
Prepare the vegetables
- 1 large tomato chopped, 1/4 cucumberPrepare the tomatoes and cucumber by removing the seeds and chopping into small pieces about 1 cm square.
- 2 spring onionsSlice the spring onions finely include the green and white parts of the onion.
- 1/2 fennel bulbFinely chop the fennel bulb.
- 50 grams walnut piecesRoughly chop the walnuts.
Prepare the pasta
- 225 grams good quality pastaCook the pasta in in boiling salted water unti just cooked with a little bit of bite (al dente).
- Drain the pasta, then plunge into a bowl of cold water. Drain again.
Make the dressing
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, 3 tablespoon natural yogurt, 1 teaspoon chilli jam or sweet chilli sauce, 1 teaspoon honey, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepperMix the dressing ingredients together and season to taste.
Assemble the salad
- Mix the dressing with the pasta together in a bowl.
- Add the vegetables and walnuts to the pasta and mix well.
- Cover the bowl and leave for flavours to mingle for about 20 minutes.
Camilla @FabFood4All says
Looks yummy Janice,I have some chilli jelly in my fridge which needs using up so I might have to give this dish a go:-)
Karen S Booth says
That looks lovely and I am sure I will be joining in this month, if the theme is CHILLI!
sangeeta says
Oh wow, this looks yummy and really interesting. Never used chilly jam/jelly with a pasta. I have some orange chilly marmalade and planning to use it in this recipe.
You have a lovely blog Karen.
Donna says
This looks and sounds absolutely fantastic. I’d never have thought to put these flavours together but it sounds gorgeous! #CookBlogShare
Janice Pattie says
Thank you, Donna. I love the flavour of fennel and it works so well with the pasta and walnuts.
Jacqui Bellefontaine says
Ohh this sounds like a really tasty pasta salad with some lovely different flavours and texture. Thank you for linking to #CookBlogShare
Janice Pattie says
Yes, the different flavours and textures work really well together.
Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie says
This sounds like a great pasta salad – perfect for potlucks, barbecues, picnics etc. I especially like the idea of adding chilli jam/sauce to to the dressing for a touch of sweetness… and little bit of a kick!
Janice Pattie says
Thanks Eb.
Sisley White says
I have to give this a go! What a great flavour combination.
Janice Pattie says
It really is, thanks so much for your kind comment.
Kavita Favelle says
This salad looks full of punchy flavours and great textures, just the kind of combination that appeals!
Janice Pattie says
Thank you, we really enjoyed it.
Jo Allison / Jo's Kitchen Larder says
Love the sound of this salad with its mix of flavours and textures! I especially like all the crunch from fennel and walnuts against the softness of the pasta! So easy to put together and the dressing sounds lovely with that bit of chilli jam added to it! Great side dish to serve at the bbq!
Janice Pattie says
Thanks Jo, it is all those things and definitely barbeque worthy.
Manjiri Chitnis says
such lovely colours and I love the fresh taste of fennel!
Janice Pattie says
Thank you, it is really fresh and tasty.
Choclette says
Not sure how I missed this one, but I’m glad I’ve spotted it now. Your pasta salad sounds like a delicious combination of flavours and textures.I like a salad to have some body too 😀
Thanks for linking to my pasta salad. Pinned, Yummed, Flipped, Mixed & Tweeted.
Janice Pattie says
Thank you Yes, a nice filling salad with lots of texture is a delight and this one certainly is.
Lesley says
Love the flavours in this simple pasta salad, always a fan of chilli and the walnuts add great crunch as well as flavour.
Janice Pattie says
Thanks, Lesley. It’s one of our favourites.
nancy says
wow this recipe has such awesome texture and flavours. I love this blend of chili and pasta together ! Walnuts added a nice crunch too! I made a seperate bowl for my kid who has nut allergies tho and she loved it
Kate - Gluten Free Alchemist says
Oooohhh Yum! LOVE the idea of a Sweet Chilli Pasta and I adore fennel and walnut too. I’ll definitely be trying this one. Thanks for sharing xx
Janice Pattie says
Thanks, Kate. Fennel really is a lovely vegetable in salads.
Rebecca - Glutarama says
You know it’s summer when you start looking for salad/cold dinner inspiration. Hate the idea of cooking in a hot kitchen at the moment so this is the ideal dinner and lunch option – plus it keeps so I can make it for two days in a row!
Janice Pattie says
You are a woman after my own heart! I’m always looking for recipes that I can eat over more than one day!
Cat says
I love the flavours, textures and crunch in this salad. And that it is the perfect side dish to so many meals. So good.
Janice Pattie says
Thank you 😊
Jo Keohane says
What a great idea! Can’t wait to try this one.
Janice Pattie says
Thanks, Jo. It’s simple but really delicious.