7 Best Store-Bought Pasta Salads, Ranked

Kristina Vanni for Taste of Home

Published on Apr. 23, 2025

As picnic and grilling season approaches, we went to seven grocery stores to discover the top store-bought pasta salad for your potluck or backyard barbecue.

When you’re short on time for your outdoor gathering, pre-made grocery store pasta salads can be a lifesaver. So, when you can’t prepare your favorite pasta salad from scratch, which options come closest to homemade? We checked out the following seven stores to find the best store-bought pasta salad:

– Jewel/Albertson’s
– Mariano’s/Kroger
– Meijer
– Target
– Trader Joe’s
– Walmart
– Whole Foods

We then tasted and ranked each pasta salad. The focus was on the quality of the pasta itself – aiming for al dente texture. The dressing’s balance with other ingredients, as well as the presence of additional elements like chopped vegetables and herbs, were also considered. These can elevate a basic salad into something fit for a top-notch summer spread. Along with taste, the value for money was kept in mind, as sometimes the higher-priced fresh-made salads were worth it.

Several locations offered multiple pasta salad options. For consistency, we aimed to select the most traditional creamy pasta salad with elbow macaroni noodles and a creamy dressing. If unavailable, we asked staff for the most popular or consistently available alternative.

7. Meijer
A 16-ounce container of creamy macaroni salad costs $3.59 at Meijer, with a larger 3-pound tub available for larger gatherings. While the salad claims to be made without high-fructose corn syrup or artificial flavors or colors, it was overly sweet due to added sugar. More seasoning and vegetable pieces were desired to enhance the salad.

6. Mariano’s/Kroger
Mariano’s offers a classic elbow macaroni salad for $4.49 per pound, prepared in-house. However, we found the small noodles to be overcooked and lacking mix-ins. Additional pasta salad options are available at Mariano’s.

5. Walmart
Walmart’s original macaroni salad in a 1-pound tub for $3.47 was the most budget-friendly option we tried. However, it was slightly dry and needed more dressing. Walmart also offers Amish macaroni salad and deviled egg macaroni salad.

4. Jewel/Albertson’s
Jewel’s macaroni pasta salad is priced at $4.89 per pound, prepared in-house. While the noodles were cooked well, the flavor profile was lacking. Adding more mix-ins like celery and red pepper could enhance the dish.

3. Target
Target’s classic macaroni salad stood out with perfectly cooked large macaroni elbows and a great value at $3.69 per pound. Additional pasta salad options are available at Target.

2. Trader Joe’s
Trader Joe’s offers unique pasta salads, with the lemon basil pasta salad standing out for its fresh ingredients and flavorful profile. However, the noodles were slightly overcooked and packed tightly in the container.

1. Whole Foods
Whole Foods’ deli pasta salads, particularly the smoked mozzarella pasta salad, impressed us the most. Made in-house with fresh ingredients, this salad had a delightful smoky flavor and quality that justified its higher price.

In conclusion, Whole Foods’ pasta salad was deemed the best among the sampled options, while Walmart offered the most budget-friendly choice.