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Savory gals, let me introduce this incredible Loaded Bloody Mary Pasta Salad! Complete with a homemade tomato vinaigrette and all your favorite skewer ingredients. Make-ahead for potlucks, lunch, or a zesty anytime bite with bar flavors!
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Note from Danielle
If you know a Bloody Mary lover, you know they love all the seasonings, all the skewer ingredients, and obviously, they NEED that dash of celery salt, Tabasco, or fresh ground black pepper. Or all of the above!
This fresh and unique spin on pasta salad will surely impress at your next potluck, gathering, or sports watch party. It seriously tastes just like a Bloody Mary. And everyone will be saying so!
It’s actually perfect to make and take, since the flavors will meld together and really sink into the pasta while it waits in the fridge. And if you’ve got any creative skewer ingredients, please share!!
👉 Here in the post, you’ll find detailed info and helpful tips based on my personal experience with this recipe.
🖨️ For the printable recipe card with ingredients list and concise instructions, keep scrolling or hit the ‘Jump to Recipe’ button at the top of the page.
🙋♀️ Frequently asked questions about this recipe are located after the recipe card.
Recipe Overview
Total Time: 50 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Method: Stovetop
Prep: Make-Ahead Friendly
Ingredients in this Loaded Bloody Mary Pasta Salad:
This unique pasta salad has everything you’d expect from the name, plus a little more! It’s super customizable, just like a regular ol’ Bloody Mary. The vinaigrette is your tomato base – don’t forget to taste and adjust as needed.
Then, it’s loaded with all the skewer ingredients you could want! I broke it down into two parts: the pasta salad itself, and then the vinaigrette sauce.
Ingredients in the pasta salad:
Obviously there’s pasta, but we’ve also got a gazillion add-ins, just like the skewer on a classic Bloody Mary. Here are the details:
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short pasta – Orecchiette, farfalle or rotini all work well. Any short pasta shape will work well; look for ones with grooves and ridges to hold sauce!
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kosher salt or fine sea salt – Either will work. We don’t need much since some of our sauce ingredients are already salted, but salting the pasta water is still important.
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grape tomatoes – Use grape tomatoes over cherry, as they’ll hold up longer and add less moisture to the salad.
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green olives – Go as fancy or basic as you want here. They can even be garlic stuffed if you prefer!
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celery – All pasta salads need a little crunch, right? To offset all the juicy and soft textures, some small diced celery is the perfect addition.
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pepperoncini peppers – I’m a sucker for a jar of pepperoncinis! That zingy briney burst of flavor is probably my personal favorite skewer ingredient, and it’s the one thing I wanna add extra, always!
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fresh ground black pepper – Always important to me, but even more important for a proper Bloody Mary.
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bacon bits – Store-bought or homemade will work, but I think homemade is a better option since you can make crisper, bigger bacon chunks.
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tiny cooked shrimp – If you don’t like shrimp, you can totally skip these. But they’re worth adding or having on the side for a potluck if anyone is a fan. You can grab a pack for with a few of these lil shrimps for just a couple bucks.
Pro move: Homemade bacon bits 🥓
Homemade bacon bits are as easy as baking the bacon in the oven, then chopping up the cooked slices. I prefer it over buying from the store! Crispy just how I like it, and can be made ahead of time. Here’s how ⬇️
Ingredients in the Bloody Mary Vinaigrette:
This tomato and oil based vinaigrette should taste just like a Bloody Mary when you’re finished: a beautiful tomato base, with a little spice, a little brine, tons of savory depth, and hints of the best Bloody Marys you’ve had!
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tomatoes – Any kind of tomatoes will work here; I’ve even used leftover cherry tomatoes. But to make things easier, you can just grab two Romas and use those, saving the grape tomatoes for slicing.
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sun-dried tomatoes – For more tomato depth of flavor, we’re using sun-dried tomatoes, plus some of the very flavorful oil from the jar.
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Worcestershire sauce – You can’t have a Bloody Mary without worcestershire sauce. It brings a bold depth of flavor that reminds me of sloppy joes!
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pepperoncini juice – If you’ve got the jarred pepperoncinis, you should already have some of this on hand! This is something I personally like to add a little more of.
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lemon juice – You need some brightness to balance out all the savory tomato and spices. Be sure to keep any leftover lemon wedges for serving. A squeeze of lemon is the quickest way to liven up the leftovers.
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Tabasco sauce – A classic Bloody ingredient! This is one thing you can definitely adjust to your liking. The recipe starts with a minimum!
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kosher salt or fine sea salt – Either will work. We don’t need much since some of our sauce ingredients are already salted.
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celery salt – This is optional, and not something you need to buy if you don’t have it on hand already. But it really adds that extra oomph to the sauce!
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extra virgin olive oil – Combined with some of the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar, this is the base of our vinaigrette sauce.
Equipment you’ll need to make this Loaded Bloody Mary Pasta Salad:
Besides some common kitchen tools, there’s no super specific equipment needed to make this recipe, but I do have some recommendations on brands to look for:
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sharp chef’s knife – If I had to pick one thing in my kitchen to use forever, it would be my Misen Chef’s Knife (affiliate link!). This knife is super high quality while being affordable. I’ve had mine for years (and there’s a lifetime guarantee!).
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wooden cutting board – For all of the chopping, I recommend this Greener Chef XL Bamboo Cutting Board (affiliate link!). The XL size is perfect but not too huge. I use it for everything except cutting raw meat. Hand wash only!
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bullet blender – Full disclosure, I bought The Beast Mini Blender (affiliate link!), and it’s just okay. It blends well enough, but I hate how the inside of the container is grooved and I can’t get everything out very well. I loved my Nutribullet High Speed Blender (affiliate link!) more, but it broke after 9 years!
What is a Bloody Mary?
The Bloody Mary is a well-known alcoholic beverage made with:
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a base spirit of vodka
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tomato juice
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spices (garlic powder, celery salt, fresh ground black pepper, etc)
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some heat (peppers or horseradish)
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worcestershire sauce
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lemon juice
The drink is then topped with an aromatic garnish, usually celery, plus a skewer with more savory ingredients, ranging from simple to incredibly complicated. I love this article from Serious Eats on The History of the Bloody Mary!
How to make this Loaded Bloody Mary Pasta Salad:
For anyone who has made a pasta salad before, this won’t be much different. Cook your pasta, prepare your add-ins, and for this recipe, blend up a homemade vinaigrette to cover everything in bold Bloody Mary flavors.
Here’s a breakdown of each cooking step, plus some extra tips you might find helpful:
Cook the pasta:
Heat water in a large pot over high heat. Once boiling, salt the water then cook the pasta according to box directions, until it’s just al dente, the lowest cook time on the box.
Drain and rapidly cool by running under cold water. Set aside to drain well while you continue the recipe.
Salting pasta water:
Don’t be shy when adding salt to pasta water! Most of it will drain away with the water.
For a pot with 4 quarts of water, I generally add about 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Here’s more from Gimme Some Oven on How to Properly Salt Your Pasta Water.
Make the vinaigrette:
In a bullet blender, blend together all of the ingredients for the vinaigrette. Blend, taste, and add a dash of anything extra you think it needs. It should definitely be tasting like a Bloody Mary at this point!
OIL TIP:
Use whatever oil from the sun-dried tomato jar you can, while still leaving them submerged in the jar. Then top it off to the correct amount needed in the recipe with EVOO. I usually get about half of each.
Mix the salad:
In a large mixing bowl, fold together the cooked pasta, all the add-ins (including the bacon bits and shrimp, if using), salt and a few grinds of black pepper. More if you love black pepper!
Next, pour in the dressing and fold everything together again until well coated.
Chill the salad:
Cover and place the pasta in the fridge for at least 20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
After that, stir again, then taste to see if it needs any more salt, pepper or lemon juice before serving.
Best tips for making this Bloody Mary Pasta Salad:
Here are my best tips for making this pasta salad successfully in your own kitchen:
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Don’t overcook the pasta, as this could lead to it being mushy later on. You want to cook it until it’s just ‘al dente’, or the minimum cook time on the box. Don’t be afraid to try a noodle to make sure it’s cooked before draining.
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Taste the dressing before pouring it over the pasta. It’s easy to add a dash or sprinkle at this point to help develop flavors for later. Add salt, lemon, worcestershire, Tabasco, or more fresh ground black pepper at this point.
MORE PASTA SALADS:
What to serve with this Loaded Bloody Mary Pasta Salad:
This recipe makes a delightful meal all by itself, especially if you’ve added the extra proteins. However, I do have a couple more ideas on what else you could serve:
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Add a fresh side salad with cucumbers, carrots, radish, but maybe not tomatoes 😂
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Serve at brunch with other breakfast foods! Maybe with actual Bloody Marys? Serve with Tums, lol
If you like this…
If you like this, you’ll love my Make-Ahead Chicken Club Pasta Salad, complete with bacon, tomatoes, chicken, and covered in a creamy buttermilk ranch dressing!
Ways to customize this recipe:
Here are some ideas on ways to customize this pasta salad recipe to your own tastes (sky is the limit here!):
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Pick your proteins – add both the bacon bits and the shrimp, or just one, or none! You can go with what you have or like for add-ins.
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Pasta style is flexible, just try to use something short with grooves that can hold sauce! Any small shapes are great.
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How do you like your Bloodys? You can make this pasta salad taste very similar by adjusting the Tabasco, black pepper, pepperoncini, Worcestershire, lemon, etc.
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Add cheese curds like this Tasting Table version for an even more rich and savory creation! Otherwise, this pasta salad is actually dairy-free 😎
Ways to meal prep this recipe:
There are a couple ways to save time by preparing all or part of this recipe ahead of time. Here are some options:
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Ingredient prep: You can make the homemade bacon bits 24 hours ahead of time and stash them in the fridge until needed. You can also chop the celery and pepperoncinis 24 hours ahead of time as well (store them covered in the fridge).
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Complete prep: Prep a batch from start to finish, and store in the fridge, and enjoy as a quick snack or lunch when needed over the next 4 days. Freshen it up with a squeeze of lemon!
Is this recipe freezer-friendly?
I do not recommend freezing any part of this recipe, as pasta salad with fresh ingredients does not generally freeze well.
How to store Bloody Mary Pasta Salad:
Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days. As the dressing is absorbed into the pasta, the flavors will alter slightly. Taste again before serving leftovers, then add:
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A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil if it feels dry
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Lemon juice for some additional brightness and moisture
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A bit of salt if it tastes a little flat
Want to Save this recipe for later?
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Print
For the pasta salad:
For the Bloody Mary vinaigrette:
- Cook the pasta: Heat about 4 quarts of water in a large pot over high heat. Once boiling, add at least 1 tablespoon salt to season the water. Cook the pasta (8 ounces) according to box directions. Be sure to cook it to just al dente (lowest cook time), as the dressing will soften the pasta and if it’s overcooked, any leftovers will become mushy. Drain and rapidly cool by running under cold water. Set aside to drain well while you continue the recipe.
- Make the vinaigrette: Meanwhile, in a bullet blender, small food processor, or using an immersion blender and cup, blend together all of the ingredients for the vinaigrette. Use whatever oil from the sun-dried tomato jar you can, while still leaving them submerged in the jar, and then top it off to the correct amount using extra virgin olive oil (I usually get about half of each). Blend, taste, and add more Tabasco sauce, salt, or olive oil if needed. It should definitely be tasting like a bloody mary at this point!
- Mix the salad: In a large mixing bowl, fold together the cooked pasta, grape tomatoes (1 cup, quartered), olives (1/2 cup, sliced), celery (4 stalks, diced), pepperoncinis (1/2 cup, drained and chopped), salt (1/2 teaspoon) and a few grinds of black pepper (~1/2 teaspoon). Also add the bacon bits (1/2 cup) and shrimp (1/2 cup), if using. Then, pour over the dressing and fold again so that everything is well coated.
- Chill the salad: Cover and place the pasta in the fridge for 20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and so the pasta can absorb some of the dressing. Stir again, and taste to see if it needs any more salt, pepper or lemon juice before serving.
- Serve & store: Serve the pasta with additional sliced olives and/or pepperoncinis scattered on top as garnish. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days. Taste before serving again, and then add a little more extra virgin olive oil if it feels dry, or lemon juice and salt if it tastes a little flat. As the dressing is absorbed into the pasta, the flavors will alter slightly.
Notes
Nutrition information estimated with My Fitness Pal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Resting Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Boiling
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 heaping cup
- Calories: 396
- Fat: 22g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 12g
Did You Make This?
I love seeing what you made! Leave a review below, and be sure to tag me at @ProjectMealPlan when you share a photo!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there any alcohol in this pasta salad?
No, this pasta salad does not have any alcohol in it. But otherwise, it tastes just like a Bloody Mary!
Recipe developed by Rachel Phipps. Photography by Christine Ma.