Salmon Asparagus Pasta Salad

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Creamy Salmon Asparagus Pasta Salad! Loaded with fresh asparagus, canned salmon (or fresh!), hard boiled eggs and pasta all tossed together in a creamy lemon dill dressing. This recipe is absolutely delicious, easy to make and sure to become a new spring/summer fave!

Creamy salmon and asparagus pasta salad in a white serving dish with gold salad servers tucked in.

Reasons To Love This Salmon Pasta Salad

Meet your new spring/summer time favorite!

Delicious spring/summer salad recipe: Salmon and asparagus make a fantastic combo so why not turn it into a pasta salad! The lemon dill dressing brings it all together. It’s creamy, tangy and absolutely delicious!
Makes a great main dish or side dish: It’s a complete meal and satisfying all on its own but also makes the perfect side dish for summer BBQs, picnics or potlucks too!
Easy to make: Super easy to throw together and ready in 30 minutes!
Great way to repurpose leftovers: Instead of canned salmon, you can also use leftover cooked salmon. You could even make a salmon and asparagus dinner one night (make some extra!) and transform the leftovers the next day into this pasta salad!

Love asparagus? Make the most of asparagus season with these 27 delicious and easy asparagus recipes!

Closeup of salmon and asparagus pasta salad with a creamy lemon dill dressing.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s what you’ll need to make this delicious pasta salad…

Labelled photo of ingredients needed to make a salmon asparagus pasta salad with creamy lemon dill dressing.

Canned Salmon: I prefer to use boneless and skinless canned salmon in this recipe. However, you can use any type of canned salmon you like. You could also use leftover cooked salmon instead.
Asparagus: Trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces.
Pasta: Any short cut pasta that you like (e.g. rotini, farfalle, macaroni, fusilli, orecchiette, etc.).
Hard Boiled Eggs: Cooled and chopped up. Here’s my favorite way to make perfect hard boiled eggs (stovetop and Instant Pot methods).
Green Onions: Thinly sliced.
Lemon Dill Dressing: A creamy dressing made from mayo, yogurt, fresh dill, zest and juice of a lemon, Dijon mustard, onion powder and some salt (or Herbamare) and pepper. The tang of the yogurt nicely balances the richness of the mayo. I prefer to use full-fat Greek yogurt but any type of plain yogurt will work.

Detailed ingredient list and directions located in the recipe card below.

Tip: It’s much easier to zest the lemon before juicing it. I like to use a microplane zester grater. Make sure to grate off only the yellow part of the peel (the white part is bitter).

How To Make Salmon Asparagus Pasta Salad

This pasta salad is really easy to make! You’ll be enjoying it in no time!

Cook the pasta and asparagus: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions, adding in the asparagus 2-3 minutes before the pasta is done. Drain and immediately rinse under cold water until the pasta is cooled. Drain well and set aside.
Make the dressing: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until smooth.
Assemble and serve: Transfer the cooled pasta and asparagus to a large bowl along with the salmon, chopped hard boiled eggs and sliced green onion. Pour over the dressing and toss until well combined. Eat immediately or refrigerate first for 30-60 minutes to help the flavors meld together.

Salmon pasta salad in a white serving bowl with gold salad servers sitting below the bowl.

Storage + Make Ahead Tips

To store: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
To make ahead: This pasta salad tastes even better after it has had a bit of time to chill out in the fridge (helps the flavors meld together). However, if you want to make this recipe more than a couple hours in advance, I recommend preparing the salad components and the dressing separately and then tossing together before serving. Otherwise the pasta will soak up the dressing and it won’t be as creamy. Another option is to just leave some of the dressing aside or mix through some extra mayo before serving.

Serving spoon lifting out some salmon asparagus pasta salad from white serving bowl.

Variations

Pasta salads are easy to customize and this one is no exception! Here are a few ideas…

Make it gluten free: Simply use gluten free pasta.
Make it dairy free: Substitute the yogurt for additional mayo.
Use tuna instead: Swap the salmon for canned tuna.
Add more veggies: Add in additional veggies like peas, bell peppers, celery, radishes, etc.
Use leftovers: This salad is a great way to repurpose any leftover cooked salmon or asparagus from the night before.
Skip the hard boiled eggs: Not a fan of eggs? Just leave them out!

Creamy salmon pasta salad piled up in a white serving dish.

A Few Questions Answered

What to serve with salmon pasta salad?

This salad is a complete meal that can be served on its own for lunch or dinner. Or you can serve it with fresh cut up fruit, a veggie and dip platter, sandwiches, corn on the cob or with grilled foods. Also makes a delicious addition to any cookout, picnic or potluck spread.

What kind of canned salmon should I use?

Any type you like is fine! I prefer to use skinless & boneless canned salmon in this recipe.

Can fresh salmon be used instead of canned?

Absolutely! This salad is also a great way to use up leftover cooked salmon. Grilled, poached, baked, pan fried – any cooking method is fine. Just flake it up and use in place of the canned salmon.

Is it meal prep friendly?

This salad is an excellent meal prep lunch or dinner option. However, it will naturally absorb some dressing when stored in the fridge for more than a few hours. To keep it creamy, set some of the dressing aside to mix through right before serving (or mix through some extra mayo). This pasta salad is also a great way to use up typical meal prep ingredients like hard boiled eggs and cooked salmon.

Salmon pasta salad in a white serving bowl with gold colored salad servers.

More Spring/Summer Salads

Looking for some more delicious salad recipes? Here are a few more that are perfect for spring and summer:

Let me know if you try out this Salmon Asparagus Pasta Salad! Leave me a comment below or tag me on Instagram.