Hawaiian pasta salad is the perfect ham and pineapple pasta salad recipe for using up leftover ham. Served it cold on a hot day for an easy side dish that everyone will love.
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While this pasta salad is not a traditional Hawaiian recipe the flavor combination of ham and pineapple is.
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Here is why this recipe is amazing:
- Reducing the pineapple juice and caramelizing the pineapple gives the pasta salad a more concentrated pineapple sweetness.
- The combination of the sweetness of the pineapple and the salty of the ham will remind you of Hawaiian Pizza. And yes, I say pineapple belongs on pizza!
- This cold pasta salad is perfect for summer picnics or a pack with a cold ice pack for an allergy-friendly school lunch option.
Ham and Pineapple Pasta Salad Ingredients:
- pasta - campanelle, bow tie or rotini
- pineapple chunks or tidbits - juice reserved for dressing. If using chunks roughly chop the pineapple
- oil - olive oil for sauteing
- red pepper - finely diced
- ham - leftover easter ham is fine, finely diced
- green onion - sliced thin
Dressing Ingredients
- mayonnaise
- sour cream
- dijon mustard
- pineapple juice - from the canned pineapple
- vinegar - apple cider vinegar
- powdered sugar - honey is another option
- garlic powder
- salt and black pepper to taste
How to make Cold Hawaiian Pasta Salad:
- Cook pasta according to package directions.
- While the pasta is cooking, drain the pineapple juice, saving it.
- In a wide bottom pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Saute the pineapple until it takes on a bit of color.
- Deglaze the pan with the reserved pineapple juice and reduce the juice by half.
- When the pasta is done cooking, drain it and run under cold water.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients until combined.
- Combine all the ham and pineapple pasta ingredients in a large bowl gently toss with dressing. Refrigerate 2 hours before serving.
- Store refrigerated up to 5 days.
Frequently asked questions, answers and tips:
Not to my knowledge. This is a recipe inspired by the flavors of Hawaii.
No you do not. This added step is just to concentrate the pineapple flavor and bring added caramel color to the pineapple. You are welcome to leave the pineapple and it juice as is, adding it to the recipe. The dressing might be a bit 'looser' but will still be delicious.
I make this pasta salad recipe at least 2 hours ahead of serving. Feel free to make it the night before.
More recipes that use leftover ham:
More Pasta Dish Recipes
- Ham and Pineapple Pasta Salad - the perfect ham and pineapple pasta salad recipe for using up leftover ham. Served it cold on a hot day for an easy side dish that everyone will love.
- Dill Pickle Pasta Salad -balance of brine, crunch, salt and creaminess this pasta salad is made with a simple homemade dill ranch dressing that is also perfect as a dip for fresh vegetables.
- Ricotta Gnocchi - delicate, pillowy dumplings of ricotta cheese, four, egg york and salt, similar to their cousin gnocchi but made with ricotta cheese instead of cooked potato.
- Pumpkin Ravioli - Easy to make with help from Wonton wrappers in place home homemade pasta sheets.
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Ham & Pineapple Pasta Salad
There is more to a recipe than just the recipe card. Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pasta - campanelle (campanelle, bow tie or rotini)
- 20 ounces pineapple chunks, canned ( or tidbits - juice reserved for dressing. If using chunks roughly chop the pineapple)
- 2 T oil (olive oil for sauteing)
- 1 each Bell pepper (red, finely diced)
- 2 cups ham (finely diced, leftover easter ham is fine)
- 3 stalks green onion ( sliced thin)
Dressing Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 T dijon mustard
- pineapple juice (from the canned pineapple)
- 1 T vinegar (apple cider vinegar)
- 1 T powdered sugar (honey is another option)
- ¼ t garlic powder
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions.8 ounces pasta - campanelle
- While the pasta is cooking, drain the pineapple juice, saving it.
- In a wide bottom pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat.2 T oil
- Saute the pineapple until it takes on a bit of color.20 ounces pineapple chunks, canned
- Deglaze the pan with the reserved pineapple juice and reduce the juice by half.pineapple juice
- When the pasta is done cooking, drain it and run under cold water.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients until combined.½ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup sour cream, 1 T dijon mustard, 1 T vinegar, 1 T powdered sugar, ¼ t garlic powder, salt and black pepper to taste
- Combine all the ham and pineapple pasta ingredients in a large bowl gently toss with dressing. Refrigerate 2 hours before serving.1 each Bell pepper, 2 cups ham, 3 stalks green onion
- Store refrigerated up to 5 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclosure
Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
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👩🏻🍳 Sarah Mock
CEO/Owner/Founder/Culinary Blogger
Sarah Mock is a classically trained Chef and graduate of Johnson & Wales University. A culinary blogger for 14 years Sarah helps the home cook prepare her recipes with professional results.
Sarah Mock
I would advise not making recipes with ham in them, especially deli ham, if you have an intolerance for salt. I appreciate the feedback but I still stand by my recipe and it is worth more than three stars.
Bev
I love pineapple in ANYTHING, and this dish is no exception. My problem is with the dressing; it came out waaaaay too watery, even though I followed the recipe exactly. I had to strain it before serving. I wasn't crazy about the sour cream or the mustard, so, if I make this again, I'll eliminate them. Another problem I had was the ham. I don't eat the stuff because it is far too salty for me, so I omitted the salt in the recipe; however, it was still too salty for my taste. Next time I'll try prosciutto instead. Sorry; I know I am terribly fussy about food, but so much of it disagrees with me at my old age.
Deeba Kalanchvi
I loved your Hawaiian Pasta Salad Recipe. I tried it yesterday :)