This easy Asian pasta salad is ready in under 30 minutes, no cooking required after the pasta! Toss angel hair noodles with a sesame-soy dressing, crunchy peanuts, and colorful veggies. Perfect for potlucks, BBQs, and meal prep. Vegan & nut-free option included.
This cold Asian pasta salad is the one recipe everyone asks me for at potlucks and summer BBQs. Ready in under 30 minutes, it’s tossed in a simple sesame-soy dressing with a spicy kick from Schezwan chutney, crunchy peanuts, and colorful bell peppers. No mayo, no cheese — just bold, fresh, Asian-inspired flavor. It doubles as a great meal-prep lunch that holds up well in the fridge for days.
What makes this version different from most Asian pasta salads out there is the Schezwan chutney — it brings a smoky, garlicky heat that’s a little Indo-Chinese in spirit, and it works beautifully with sesame oil and soy sauce. If you can’t find Schezwan chutney, sriracha, or sambal oelek, they work great too.
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Cold Asian noodle salad — Why it’s a crowd favorite
We love pasta salads, especially the cold ones. The fact that you don’t need to reheat makes it easy to pack outdoor parties and lunch boxes. I have already shared macaroni pasta salad, and recently I shared hummus pasta salad on my IG. Now it’s time for my version of Asian pasta salad or Asian noodle salad.
This is one effortless pasta salad recipe. You can chop the vegetables (a vegetable chopper comes in handy) when the pasta is cooking. And once the pasta is cooled down, you can add the other ingredients(the dressing ingredients) and mix, and that’s it, the Asian pasta salad is ready.
The active cooking time is less than 30 minutes making it a great recipe for a weekday meal or a great side for a party/potluck meal. It’s a perfect beginner-friendly recipe too. You can even cook the pasta as part of your meal prep and use it when needed.
Why this Asian noodle salad works
One bowl. That’s all you need for this salad. Cook the pasta, cool it down, throw everything in — done. I use angel hair because it’s thinner than regular spaghetti and coats with the dressing so much better. No clumping, no sogginess. And if you have leftovers, don’t worry — this is one of those rare pasta salads that actually tastes better the next day. No mayo means no sad, watery mess in the fridge.
Ingredients required
Pasta or noodles – I love to use angel hair pasta for this salad, and it holds and stays well without becoming soggy. You can use wheat or soba or rice noodles too. Make sure to cook them al dente. Alternatively, you can use any other pasta like elbow farfalle too.
Sesame seeds – I used toasted white and black sesame seeds. Toasting them is very straightforward. Just head a pan, add the sesame seeds and toast them over medium-low heat—toast for about 3 to 4 minutes.
Oil and soy sauce – I used Indian sesame oil and dark soy sauce for this pasta. You can use regular or low-sodium soy sauce too.
Vegetables and parsley – I have used an equal amount of onion, red, and green bell peppers. You can include shredded carrots, green onions, and red, yellow onions instead of white. The fresh parsley adds a lot of flavors. So don’t skip it. Cilantro is an optional too, but there will be a taste difference.
Schezwan chutney: To spice it up, I used store-bought Schezwan chutney. You can use sriracha or sambal oelek too. Alternatively, you can skip these and opt for freshly ground pepper for a mild version.
Apart from this, you need salt and water to cook the pasta.
How to make Asian pasta salad
- Cook the noodles or pasta as per the package instructions and drain the water. VVK Tip – Spread the pasta on a plate, add 2 tsp of oil, and gently toss the pasta so that it doesn’t clump together. Let it cool and transfer it to a large bowl.
- Add the soy sauce, oil, vegetables, parsley, salt, and sesame seeds.
- Then add the crushed peanuts and the Scezwan chutney.
- Mix well, and that’s it. The salad is ready. Enjoy!
Recipe notes
- The salt measure is only for the salad. While cooking the pasta, add the needed salt as per the package instructions. I added a little over one tsp of salt for this pasta measure.
- Instead of Schezwan chutney, you can use sriracha or other spices sauces or simple crushed black pepper to spice up this Asian pasta salad.
- You can a tsp or two of rice vinegar, for an added kick.
- Unsalted and roasted peanuts are preferable. If using salted peanuts, adjust the salt accordingly.
Dietary specifications
This Asian pasta salad is a vegan recipe but make sure to use vegan products. Use gluten-free pasta or noodles for a gluten-free version and skip peanuts for a nut-free version.
As it’s a cold salad, there is no need to warm it up, and it is excellent. Just enjoy!
VVK Tips
Make-ahead tip: Cook the pasta up to a day ahead, toss it with a teaspoon of oil, and refrigerate. When ready to serve, add the vegetables and dressing and toss. The vegetables are best added fresh to keep them crunchy.
Storage: This salad keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days. The pasta will absorb more dressing over time — you can loosen it with a splash of soy sauce or a drizzle of sesame oil before serving leftovers.
Frequently asked questions
Absolutely. Pan-fried or air-fried tofu, edamame, or chickpeas all work well for a plant-based protein boost. This keeps the recipe vegan while making it more filling as a main dish.
Yes! This is a great make-ahead recipe. Cook the pasta the night before and toss it with a little oil to prevent sticking. Store it separately from the vegetables. When ready to serve, toss everything together. The assembled salad keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days.
I highly recommend sesame oil or peanut oil. But if you can’t source or don’t want to buy just for this Asian pasta salad, opt for olive oil.
Parsley adds a unique flavor to this recipe. Instead of parsley, you can use fresh cilantro too. And as for vegetables, you can add broccoli, broccolini, snap peas, carrots too.
Angel hair pasta is my favorite — it’s thin enough to coat evenly with the dressing and doesn’t get heavy or clumpy. Spaghetti, thin spaghetti, soba noodles, or rice noodles all work well too. Avoid thick pasta shapes like penne or rigatoni for this recipe.
This recipe is a cold pasta salad — it’s served at room temperature or chilled, making it perfect for picnics, potlucks, and BBQs where you don’t have access to a stove or microwave.
Yes, as written this recipe is fully vegan. Just make sure your soy sauce and Schezwan chutney are vegan-friendly (most brands are, but check the label).
Sriracha, sambal oelek, or chili garlic sauce are the closest substitutes. For a milder version, just use freshly cracked black pepper. Each will change the flavor profile slightly but the salad will still be delicious.
More salads to enjoy!
PS: If you try this Asian pasta salad, please don’t forget to comment and rate this recipe. If you have any questions, please leave a comment, and I will get to it ASAP. Follow me on my Pinterest for more healthy and delicious ideas! Follow me on Instagram or join my Facebook Group for more recipe updates! You can also sign-up for my newsletter for weekly updates.
📖 Recipe
Easy Asian Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Measurement Details: 1 cup = 240ml; 1 tbsp = 15ml; 1 tsp = 5ml;
- 8 oz angel hair pasta
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sesame oil plus 2 tsp for the pasta
- 1 tsp white sesame seeds
- 1 tsp black sesame seeds
- ½ cup onion chopped
- ½ cup red bell pepper chopped
- ½ cup green bell pepper chopped
- ¼ cup parsley chopped
- ½ tsp salt or to taste; see recipe notes
- 1 tbsp Schezwan chutney; see recipe notes
- 1 /4 cup peanuts roasted and crushed
Instructions
- Cook the noodles or pasta as per the package instructions and drain the water. Spread the pasta on a plate, add 2 tsp of oil, and gently toss the pasta so that it doesn’t clump together. Let it cool and transfer it to a bowl.
- Add the soy sauce, oil, vegetables, parsley, salt, and sesame seeds.
- Then add the crushed peanuts and the Schezwan chutney.
- Mix well, and that’s it. The salad is ready. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- The salt measure is only for the salad. While cooking the pasta, add the needed salt as per the package instructions. I added a little over one tsp of salt for this pasta measure.
- Instead of Schezwan chutney, you can use sriracha or other spices sauces or simple crushed black pepper.
- Unsalted and roasted peanuts are preferable. If using salted peanuts, adjust the salt accordingly
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.
Update notes – Earlier posted in 2015, now updated with new pics, recipe card with nutritional information.
This is one of our repeated ones during summer! Love the clicks! Drool worthy! This recipe is akeeper and as you said this is always a crowd pleaser.
Absolutely, especially for parties and potlucks.
A very refreshing Asian salad for sure.
Thanks Harini.
I am a great fan of pastas and This salad sounds simple yet filling . Perfect for summers , bookmarking it to try soon .
Thanks Vaishali. I hope you like it.
Asian food is generally on the top of my cooking list. Your salad looks delicious!
Thanks a lot Smruti.
My older one will definitely love this.
Quick and easy to make Asian style pasta salad. Love all the flavors that went in there. yummy!!
Very colorful and inviting pasta salad.
Very interesting salad, am in love with all the flavors went in it.
Wow… yummy!
Thanks Trupti
My favorite dish,looks so delicious Vid…
Thanks Swapna
Super yummm Sri :)
Delicious !
Thanks Freda, annu, vidya, GB,Suma, Deepa, Malar and Mullai
I like sesame seeds in salads. I’ll try them with pasta. Colourful click .
Boomarked your recipe…
Love it Sri.. Looks yum
The pasta looks colorful and inviting.
Simple delicous pasta dish, Sid is going to try this for his lunch box and me too!
Looks awesome Sri…