Spicy Thai Pasta Salad is hot, tangy, and inspired by the flavors of Thai cuisine. You’re going to love this dish!
This recipe is such a huge hit. We always have to double or triple batch this every time we make it. Forget tiny, small portions, you are going to want a heaping helping of Spicy Thai Pasta Salad. If you want to make this a more hearty main dish, you can even add shredded rotisserie chicken.
The secret to spicy Thai pasta salad is the infused oil and red pepper mixture. It sounds fancy, but infusing oils is actually really easy. The flavors continue to develop over time, so you really want to let this sit for at least 4 hours, and preferably overnight. We know it’s difficult, but trust us, it will be worth the wait!
Pasta Options:
Don’t love bowtie pasta? You can use almost any small, shaped pasta instead: penne, rotini, etc.
Peanuts: Optional
We love the crunch of the peanuts, but if you don’t share that love, or have allergies, you can always omit the peanuts.
Spice Adjustments:
This tastes best with a good kick to it, but if you prefer a mild spice, use only 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
If you like this recipe, you may be interested in these other pot luck recipe favorites:
- Italian Pasta Salad
- Cilantro Lime Orzo Pasta Salad
- Best Macaroni Salad
- Mom’s Creamy Potato Salad
- Creamy Cucumber Salad
Watch the video below where Rachel will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, Facebook Watch, or our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.
I love almost everything on this site, but I just wasn’t wild about this salad. The sesame oil made it too heavy, I didn’t like the dark color, and it really needed a vegetable. I normally like spicy things, but really all you could taste was the red pepper and the sesame oil. I kept eating it, trying to like it, but it just wasn’t what I expected. Thank you for sharing, though. I
love most of your recipes.
I made this yesterday. My husband and I ate the entire batch. Had to make another batch. We cannot stop eating this pasta salad. It is incredible. I will always make sure to have the ingredients on hand. I followed exactly. I like food hot, but I was afraid that two teaspoons of red pepper flakes might be a little too hot. Not at all. It has a beautiful kick to it, but not overwhelming. If you do not like things too spicy, just use half the amount. Cannot go wrong with this salad.
I love this salad.
Really tasty. I used cashews instead of peanuts and omitted the cilantro. I also used elbow macaroni – just b/c that’s what I had. I also used ALL the red pepper flakes – 2 heaping teaspoons. The spice is good but not overpowering and I’m not someone who’s a heat seeker when it comes to food. I honestly think it would be a little too mild without it. It definitely pays to cool overnight in the fridge; the flavors incorporate a lot more by the next day. Will make this again.
This pasta salad was not only simple to make but simply delicious. I made it exactly according to recipe but only used 1 1:2 tsp of pepper flakes. It was deliciously hot and spicy but not overwhelming. I love spicy. I added cooked shrimp to it !! Hint don’t rinse the pasta so dressing sticks to the pasta. Next time going to make it with chicken. Loved it!
I love this pasta dish. Great for serving when the girls get together. I usually add left over rotisserie chicken from Costco and water chestnuts for an added crunch. Also – I use a couple of tablespoons of hot sesame oil in addition to the regular. Yum!
This looks delicious! My granddaughter is vegan. What could I add to give it more protein?
Sautéed tempeh would be delicious in this! You should be able to find packaged tempeh near the tofu/vegan section in your local grocery store.
Made this for a potluck and it was a success. Everyone loved it.