We Tried 4 Celebrity Pasta Salad Recipes—Here’s the One That's Worth Making All Summer

Summer is pasta salad season, and for good reason. The potluck staple can be made a myriad of different ways and customized to suit any taste or occasion. I recently put our top-rated Marry Me Chicken Pasta Salad to the test at home and was reminded how much I love a good pasta salad. I went in search of the best celebrity pasta salad recipes and put four to the test in the Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen. The winner had an unexpected twist that I didn't see coming.

The 4 Pasta Salad Recipes We Tried

Picnic Classic: Dolly Parton's Macaroni Salad

Dolly Parton does so many things well, and her classic comfort food recipes deserve a spot on that list. This creamy macaroni salad recipe has all the classic ingredients you'd expect in the deli-counter favorite: macaroni noodles, mayo, sweet relish, onion, and hard-boiled eggs. But what sets this recipe apart is the sauce. Parton uses a trio of sour cream, mayo, and milk to achieve the ideal creamy texture. For texture, toss in diced cucumber and green onion. We made this recipe a day before we tried it to give the flavors a chance to meld.

Bottom line: While we loved the nostalgia of this creamy pasta salad, overall we found it a bit bland. Adding more of the onion, relish, veggies, and eggs would go a long way in amping up the flavors. That being said, this is a great pasta salad to customize to your tastes. The creamy sauce is the perfect blank slate for a few dashes of hot sauce, garlic powder, or your favorite seasoning blend.

Italian Twist: Rachel Ray's Italian Pasta Salad

We've been sleeping on using cavatappi noodles in our pasta salad recipes. Here, the corkscrew shape of the noodles holds the tangy red wine vinaigrette and stands up to the chopped veggies and cheese. Celebrity chef Rachel Ray rounds out her pasta salad recipe with roasted red peppers, provolone cheese, diced red onion, and pepperoncini. Ray's tip for cooking the pasta to just al dente ensures the finished salad has the perfect amount of chew without being mushy.

Bottom line: Our tasters loved the flavor the slightly sweet roasted red peppers gave the finished salad but overall wished there was more dressing. The dish tasted a bit dry. If you're making this at home, we recommend increasing the amount of the homemade garlicky vinaigrette. It's delicious, and we wanted more of it. This is a great pasta salad to tote to parties; it gets better as it sits.

Our Runner-Up Favorite: Guy Fieri's Mac-Daddi-Roni Salad

There's no shortage of spice in this macaroni salad recipe. Celebrity chef Guy Fieri adds red onion, roasted red peppers, carrots, celery, peppadew peppers, and pepperoncini for both texture and flavor. A dressing made with mayo, yellow mustard, garlic, and white vinegar ties the whole bowl together. Fieri uses classic macaroni noodles here, and our recipe testers liked how the size of the pasta matched the size of the diced veggies. Chill this salad for at least one hour, or overnight, so the flavor has a chance to come together. As one 5-star reviewer raved, "This was the best Mac salad ever!! Husband said the first day was as good as the last, so don’t wait to eat it!"

Bottom line: This salad earned raves from our recipe testers, with a few calling it their favorite of the day. This pasta salad recipe does have a lot of components, but they all work together. I loved the creamy mustard sauce and crunch from all the vegetables. I will absolutely make this again whenever I'm craving the best version of the tried-and-true classic.

Our Favorite Pasta Salad: Ina Garten's Tomato Feta Pasta Salad

Is there anything Ina Garten can't make perfectly? I've tried dozens and dozens of her recipes throughout the years, and they're pretty much all home runs. Her take on pasta salad is anything but expected, and our recipe tasters couldn't get enough. Ina Garten skips the mayo-based dressing in favor of a sun-dried tomato vinaigrette that's flavored with red wine vinegar, garlic, capers, Parmesan cheese, and fresh parsley. The dressing coats fusilli pasta, diced tomatoes, Kalamata olives, feta cheese, and more sun-dried tomatoes. Each bite is packed with sweet and savory tomato flavor that's complemented by the salty feta cheese. The intense flavor is what earned this pasta salad recipe our top spot.

Bottom line: If you're looking for a pasta salad that's unexpectedly delicious, try this recipe from the Barefoot Contessa. It's earned a spot in my summer rotation, and I find it's best served with grilled chicken. Next time I make it, I'm going to try a few suggestions from the many 5-star reviews, including adding a pinch of red pepper flakes and a sprinkle of toasted pine nuts.