This recipe is such a huge hit with so many delicious flavors. 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, whether for a large gathering or dinner at home. If you want to make this into a more hearty main dish, you can even add cooked cubed chicken, or shredded rotisserie chicken.
If you love tasty salads, try our amazing Cilantro-Lime Orzo Pasta Salad.
Why Our Recipe
- Not your typical pasta salad with a combination of flavors that bursts in your mouth!
- The perfect make-ahead side dish for potlucks and backyard barbecues and it’s always an absolute hit.
- Easy to scale up to larger portions for big gatherings.
I first tasted this recipe when a coworker brought it to a work party over twenty years ago. It has been a favorite of mine ever since and has been a crowd favorite wherever I take it. I love that it is different from all of the typical pasta salads that you see. This tasty combination of unique flavors is perfect for picnics, potlucks, and parties.
Ingredient Notes
- Bowtie Pasta: Don’t love bowtie pasta? You can use almost any small, shaped pasta instead: penne, rotini, etc.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: 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.
- Vegetable Oil: Can substitute with corn oil or olive oil.
- Sesame Oil: This is a must! It is where you get a lot of your flavor.
- Honey: Brings part of the essential main flavors.
- Soy Sauce: You can use low-sodium soy sauce if you are looking to lower the salt content.
- Salt: Up to you if you choose to add the additional salt.
- Chopped Cilantro: This is a staple flavor, but if you don’t love the flavor of cilantro then parsley is the go-to substitute.
- Honey Roasted Peanuts: We love the crunch of the peanuts, but if you don’t share that love, or have allergies, you can always omit the peanuts. You could regular peanuts, but honey roasted just brings extra flavor.
- Sliced Green Onions: This is not just to make the salad pretty. They also add flavor.
Allergy Warning
Make sure that if you do take this spicy salad to a potluck it is clearly marked as containing peanuts. I have never had any problems because the whole peanuts are so visible
Make Ahead
This dish is ideally made the day before serving. The secret to this delicious 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 while the recipe says to make it at least 4 hours before, it is ideal to have overnight for the developments of these yummy flavors. Just add the cilantro, peanuts, and green onions right before serving. We know it’s difficult, but trust us, it will be worth the wait!
Storage Instructions
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Give it a stir before serving.
BRILLIANT recipe and wonderful with sliced mango
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 add spinach and spicy grilled shrimp and instead of peanut i did honey roasted cashews.. it was 🔥🔥🔥🔥
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.