Classic Italian style pasta salad gets a gluten free, dairy free remix with this simple recipe. Full of fresh flavor with a light, tangy dressing and loaded with veggies, this one is so easy to toss together, and is great for taking to a get-together or serving as a “make ahead” dish for lunch throughout the week!
Try it solo, or add chopped chicken or cold cuts (we love salami, ham, & pepperoni) for a full meal.
I have been pouring all of my recipe creating love into a special project lately (details to come SO soon!) so it’s been awhile since I’ve shared here on the blog.
I’ve been keeping a long to-do list of recipes to shoot for my blog comeback, and this pasta salad was at the top of the list!
So many of you have been asking for easy meal ideas that can be eaten cold and make great leftovers or make-ahead lunches. This one fits the bill, and is SO delicious. Tastes like comfort food, but is gluten free & dairy free!
If you’ve got a garden full of zucchini, this is a great way to put some of it to good use! Also – I’m jealous of you because as much as I would love a garden, it just didn’t work out this year.
We now have the big backyard of our dreams, but it needs a little TLC and we wanted to hold off until we had the right spot for some garden beds prepped and ready to go. So no quarantine garden here… but next year, I’ll be READY!
Until then, grateful for my mom & dad who share all of their backyard harvest with us weekly! Growing your own food is just so cool isn’t it? Love it.
Can’t wait for you guys to try this! Serve it as-is (delish) or bulk it up with some chopped chicken or cold cuts (pepperoni & salami are perfect!), then let me know what you think!
Italian Pasta Salad (GF, DF)
Ingredients
For the Dressing
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar red wine vinegar or white vinegar will also work
- 1 tsp dried Italian herb seasoning
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp fresh basil finely chopped
For the Pasta Salad
- 1 lb gluten free rotini or fusilli pasta
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 small zucchini quartered lengthwise, then thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced into 1" strips
- 1/2 red onion sliced thin then roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup quartered baby tomatoes
- 1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup kalamata olives sliced
- salt & black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Whisk the dressing ingredients in a large bowl (large enough to hold 8 cups of pasta salad) until smooth and combined. Set aside.
- Cook the pasta per package instructions or to your liking, adding salt to the water if you like for more flavor. Drain and toss with 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. While the pasta cools to room temperature, prep your other ingredients.
- Add the cooked pasta to the large bowl with dressing and toss lightly to combine. Stir in the zucchini, bell pepper, onion, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and olives. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Stir in chopped chicken or cold cuts if you want, or leave it as is and transfer to the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.
- Serve chilled, and enjoy! Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Great to make ahead, as it tastes best the second day.
Notes
- For gluten free pasta, our favorites are the Banza pasta made from chickpeas (rinse that one after cooking!), and Jovial Foods pasta made from brown rice (super neutral flavor & easy to work with). Any pasta you love will work here – gluten free or not!
- If you want to make this more satisfying, add some protein! We love chopped chicken breast, or sliced then chopped cold cuts like ham, pepperoni, and salami.
Nutrition
3 Comments
Julianna
July 23, 2020 at 12:37 amCan’t wait to try! Love Italian food during summer time because of all the fresh in season veggies!
Jessie B
July 24, 2020 at 1:39 amCouldn’t agree more!! I hope you love it, Julianna!
Rachel
February 27, 2021 at 10:36 pmSo delicious! Made this for a side to go with burgers and it was a hit. Loved the fresh veggie combo.