This vegan Italian Pasta Salad can be made oil-free and gluten-free perfect for summer lunches.
Who doesn’t love a quick, easy, healthy vegan summer dinner recipe?
I know I do.
I am all for easy dinners in general.
What’s nice about this recipe is that you can switch up the recipe and use a variety of fresh vegetables for whatever you like or have perhaps in your garden.
I had never had asparagus in pasta salad prior to this cold pasta salad recipe, but I’m a fan.
I’m a big fan of having something cold and healthy on a warm night in the summer months. This is a great dish for that.
Vegan Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing Recipe Q&A
What is the best pasta to use for this delicious pasta salad?
You can use whichever pasta you prefer for pasta salad. It’s typically made with rotini pasta, but you can use something else if you would prefer.
Can you make this vegan pasta salad recipe gluten-free?
Yes, if you use gluten-free pasta. And if using store-bought Italian dressing, double-check to make sure it’s gluten-free.
Is this salad good if it’s an oil-free recipe?
This is a great McDougall pasta salad recipe.
If you’re not familiar with the McDougall diet, in short, it’s a higher carb, low fat, no oil whole foods-based eating.
Sometimes eating no oil can make things not as flavorful as the oil would bring.
This pasta salad is still full of flavor without adding a ton of extra calories in oil.
If not eating oil doesn’t excite you go ahead and add some or use a store-bought Italian salad dressing.
Can you use store-bought Italian dressing?
Absolutely! It will save you a little bit of time and still be tasty.
As always, make sure you check the ingredients.
What ingredients do you need for this easy vegan Italian pasta salad?
Check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full recipe.
- 16 oz pasta of your choice
- broccoli
- asparagus
- beans
- black olives or kalamata olives
- cherry tomatoes or any fresh tomatoes
- 1 cup vegan oil-free Italian dressing, either dressing below or store-bought Italian dressing
- water
- cornstarch
- onion powder
- vinegar
- sugar
- salt
- oregano
- dried mustard
- paprika
- garlic
Optional;
- red onion, diced
- bell peppers (green, yellow, or red peppers)
- other fresh veggies
- artichoke hearts
- white beans
- vegan pepperoni
- vegan mozzarella
How do you make this vegan Italian pasta salad recipe?
Start by cooking your pasta as directed for al dente in boiling water; in the last 5 minutes, add your vegetables, then strain and set aside.
Get a large mixing bowl and add the olives, beans, and tomatoes.
Add your pasta and vegetables and stir.
Make your dressing homemade Italian dressing.
If you don’t care about being oil-free, you can add olive oil instead of the cornstarch water mixture.
Take your cold water and cornstarch and mix.
Heat in the microwave for 2 minutes. Stir, then heat another minute and stir.
This should be thicker.
Then add all the other dressing ingredients and stir.
Add 1 cup of this to the pasta salad and stir.
Let sit in the fridge and marinate.
This is best the next day; add salt and pepper to taste.
How do you serve this Italian vegan pasta salad?
This easy recipe tastes best after it has time for the flavors to marinate. I like to make this and serve it the next day for optimal flavor.
But it can be enjoyed the day of.
This can be served cold or at room temperature.
It can be served as a side dish or a main course.
How do you store pasta salad?
Pasta salad should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
Can you freeze pasta salad?
I would recommend not freezing this.
Want some other vegan pasta salad recipes?
If you loved this recipe, then give it a 5 star rating and leave a comment! I love to chat with you all. Please feel free to share on social media and tag #courtneyshomestead. I would love to see you over on Instagram or Facebook.
Ingredients
- 16 oz pasta of your choice
- 1-2 cups broccoli chopped bite size
- 8 ounces asparagus chopped bite size
- 1 can beans rinsed and drained *I used kidney beans
- 8 ounce can sliced black olives drained
- 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes chopped
- 1 cup vegan oil-free Italian dressing either dressing below or store-bought
Oil-free Italian dressing **
- 1 cup cold water
- 1 TB cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/3 cup vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp dried mustard
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1 clove garlic minced
Additional ad ins
- Any vegetable you want
- Avocado
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start by cooking your pasta as directed; in the last 5 minutes, add your vegetables, then strain and set aside,
- Get a large bowl and add the olives, beans, and tomatoes. Add your pasta and vegetables and stir.
- Make your dressing. Take your cold water and cornstarch and mix. Heat in the microwave for 2 minutes; stir, then heat another minute and stir. This should be thicker. Then add all the other dressing ingredients and stir. Add 1 cup of this to the pasta salad and mix. Let sit in the fridge and marinate. This is best the next day; add salt and pepper to taste.