I like to make this smoked salmon pasta salad for get-togethers, and the dressing is what makes it special. Roasted red peppers are blended with crème fraîche until smooth, with a few capers pulsed in for little briny bites.

I toss half the dressing with the cooked fusilli pasta while it’s still warm so the pasta soaks up the flavor. Once it’s cooled, the smoked salmon goes in with crisp cucumber, creamy avocado, chives, lemon, and the rest of the dressing. After letting it chill for 30 minutes, it’s ready to serve.

Ingredients

Here’s what you need for a pasta salad that serves 8-10 at a party or get-together.

Pasta – 1 lb fusilli/rotini or other short pasta that holds dressing well (like farfalle or penne)
Smoked Salmon – 5 oz (150 g) cold-smoked salmon/lox. This recipe is flexible on the amount of smoked salmon. A 4 oz (113 g) package can also work or you can use up to 8 oz if you prefer a more salmon-forward pasta salad. If you have any leftover smoked salmon, see these other recipes you can use it in.
Roasted Peppers – 2 roasted peppers (about 150 g or 5.2 oz), jarred or homemade both work. If jarred, drain them well.
Crème Fraîche – 1 cup crème fraîche
Capers – 2 tbsp capers, drained
Lemon – 1 lemon (for 1 tsp lemon zest and 1 tbsp lemon juice, plus more to taste)
Cucumber – 1/2 English cucumber
Avocado – 1 large avocado
Chives – about 2 tbsp minced chives
Salt – salt, to taste
Black Pepper – ground black pepper, to taste

How to Make It

Note: We’ll prep all the ingredients (chopping, dicing, blending) while the pasta is boiling and cooling to save time.

Step 1. Boil the pasta. To a large pot of salted boiling water, add the pasta and cook for the time indicated on the package, plus 1-2 minutes. When pasta is served cold, it’s a bit tougher, so cooking it a bit longer (by 1-2 minutes) is recommended for pasta salads.

Fusilli pasta cooking in a pot of boiling water.

Step 2. Blend the peppers and crème fraîche. While the pasta is boiling, blend the roasted peppers with the crème fraîche, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of ground black pepper until smooth. Add the capers and pulse/chop a few times just to chop the capers roughly, not fully blend them.

Roasted peppers and crème fraîche blended into a smooth dressing with chopped capers.

Step 3. Combine the cooked, drained pasta with half the dressing. Once the pasta has boiled, drain it. Then, toss it in a large mixing bowl with half the roasted pepper and crème fraîche dressing. When the pasta is warm, it absorbs the dressing better. Set it aside to cool while you prep the rest of the ingredients. Giving it a stir from time to time can help it cool down faster.

Warm cooked fusilli in a mixing bowl with roasted pepper crème fraîche dressing.

Step 4. Prep all the remaining ingredients.

Prepped ingredients for the pasta salad: chopped cucumber, minced chives, cubed avocado, chopped smoked salmon, and lemon.

Chives: Mince the chives.
Cucumber: Peel the cucumber in stripes, leaving some skin on for color and crunch. Cut it in half lengthwise and scoop out the watery seeds with a teaspoon. Chop them into bite-sized pieces.
Lemon: Zest the lemon first. Then, juice the lemon.
Avocado: Cut it in half and take out the seed. Brush it with lemon juice to keep it from browning while waiting to be added to the salad. Then score it into cubes with a paring knife. When ready to be added to the salad, we’ll scoop it out with a spoon.
Smoked Salmon: Cut the smoked salmon into bite-sized pieces. Gently pull the pieces apart so they don’t clump together in the salad.

Step 5. Combine everything and adjust the seasonings. Once the pasta has cooled enough (to room temperature), add all the ingredients: chopped smoked salmon, cubed avocado, chopped cucumber, lemon zest, lemon juice, minced chives, and the remaining roasted pepper crème fraîche dressing. Toss everything until combined. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your taste, adding more salt, pepper, and lemon juice if needed.

Smoked salmon, avocado, cucumber, and chives added to dressed pasta in a mixing bowl.

Smoked salmon pasta salad tossed with dressing, avocado, cucumber, and chives.

Step 6. Transfer the pasta salad to a serving bowl. Cover it and let it chill in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving. It will help the flavors come together better. Serve it immediately after chilling.

Serving

This pasta salad is best served within 30 minutes of mixing, while the avocado is still bright green and the cucumber is crisp.

If it looks a little dry after chilling, stir in a spoonful of crème fraîche or a squeeze of lemon juice before serving.

When serving at a party, don’t leave the salad out for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour on a hot day. Smoked salmon and crème fraîche both need to stay cold. For longer gatherings, set the bowl over a larger bowl of ice, or put out half and keep the rest in the fridge to refill.

Make-Ahead Notes

This salad is best prepared fresh. If you want to make it ahead of time, here are some tips.

Up to 2 days ahead: Make the roasted pepper and crème fraîche dressing and keep it covered in the fridge.
Up to 1 day ahead: Cook the pasta, toss it with half the dressing, and refrigerate once cooled.
Up to a few hours ahead: Chop the cucumber, salmon, and chives and keep them in separate containers in the fridge.
Just before serving: Add the prepped ingredients, the lemon zest and juice, avocado, and the remaining dressing.

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. The salad is best on the first day, since the avocado will darken and the cucumber will release some water over time. Give it a stir and a squeeze of lemon before serving leftovers. I don’t recommend freezing this salad. The crème fraîche, avocado, and cucumber won’t hold up after thawing.

Recipe Card