Summertime pasta salad recipe
This garden pasta salad is filled with perfectly seasoned grilled zucchini, bell peppers and fresh cherry tomatoes and arugula. Homemade delicious Italian dressing pulls it all together. Fantastic vegan pasta salad to take to a party and share with a friend. Perfect vegan summer bbq side dish.
When the weather starts getting a little hotter, there’s nothing like a this perfect pasta salad for dinner. It’s a great way to use up all those veggies from your own garden and it’s a super easy recipe.
This is one of my favorite dishes to make on a hot, muggy summer night. It whips together so easily and won’t make you feel heavy and gross.
This pasta salad is also great to take to family gatherings or a summer bbq. It feeds a crowd really well.
Ingredients
The beauty of this easy pasta salad is its versatility.
Grilled vegetables – You can use whatever fresh vegetables are your personal preference, but my favorite are: zucchini, red onion and red bell pepper since they are abundant in the summer time. Feel free to use yellow peppers, green pepper or
Arugula – I love the peppery kick that this green adds to the salad. Feel free to use kale or spinach if you don’t like arugula.
Cherry Tomatoes – Grape tomatoes are also delicious. Another abundant fruit in the summer. This adds some nice acidity and juiciness to the salad.
Northern beans – You can also use chickpeas. Beans add a nice protein to this pasta salad, without using meat.
Marinated artichoke hearts – This adds a delicious flavor to the pasta salad.
Olives – I love using kalamata olives, but black olives also work.
Fresh basil – Fresh herbs level this recipe up. Feel free to use fresh parsley as well.
Pasta – I love using rotini pasta because it collects the dressing in it better than other pasta shapes. Pasta with bow ties is also great.
Vegan Italian dressing – You can use a store bought bottle for convenience, but it’s very easy to make it at home. Just use some extra virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar. A good vinegar is key (1), lemon juice, mustard, salt, black pepper and some Italian seasoning. Add red pepper if you like a little spice. If you have some vegan parmesan cheese on hand, add that in as well. Make a big batch of this in a medium glass jar to have in the fridge all week.
How to make vegan pasta salad
- First, boil pasta. Make sure not to cook too it much. Follow the package directions to cook it al dente. Rinse the tender pasta under cold water after it cooks to stop it from over cooking.
- Season and grill your vegetables.
- Make your vegan Italian dressing
- Assemble everything together in a bowl and let it sit for at least an hour in the fridge. Overnight is best.
Recipe tips
- I love using the spiral or bow tie pasta for this but use whatever is your favorite.
- Make sure not to over cook the pasta.
- Once pasta is cooked, rinse immediately with cool water so that the pasta doesn’t continue to cook and become gummy
- If you want an even easier way to make this, use a store bought Italian dressing instead of making it yourself. Just check the ingredients that it doesn’t have cheese in it.
- If you can get your hands on some Violife vegan parmesan, or feta, do so! It tastes so good in this pasta salad
- Season your grilled veggies with some steak seasoning, or just good ol’ plain salt. Whatever you do, don’t leave them bland and unseasoned. Also make sure to brush them with a little olive oil
- If you don’t feel like grilling the vegetables, it works to sauté them as well. They taste amazing if you use a cast iron skillet.
- Top this with some fresh basil if you have it. It tastes amazing.
- This grilled veggie pasta salad tastes even better when it’s had a chance to sit in the fridge for a day. Make this the day before a party or bbq to really let the flavors sink in.
What to eat with pasta salad
- Meaty vegan ribs
- Vegan steak
- Lentil sloppy Joe
- Vegan potato salad
- Grilled portobello mushroom burger
- Nashville hot tempeh sandwich
- Homemade Italian dressing
FAQ
How long does pasta salad last in the fridge?
Pasta salad lasts about 5-7 days in the fridge. Keep it in an airtight container. It always tastes better the next day. The longer it sits in the fridge, the better it gets because the flavors marinate.
Can I use different vegetables?
Yes, absolutely. This recipe is very versatile. Use whatever your fresh veggies are your favorite. Some other good vegetables to put in this salad are:
- Grilled mushrooms
- Grilled onions
- Fresh broccoli florets
- Carrots
- Green onions
Can I make this gluten free?
Yes! This recipe is very easy to make gluten free. Just use a gluten free pasta. Chickpea or lentil pasta seem to stay more firm and less gummy than brown rice pasta, I’ve noticed. Make sure to not over cook the pasta, as gluten free pasta can become gummy very easily.
More delicious recipes
- Creamy orzo with roasted vegetables
- Kale salad with baked sweet potato and marinated tofu
- Applebee’s vegan chicken oriental salad copycat recipe
- Southwest quinoa salad
- Tomato, cucumber avocado salad
- Easy BBQ tofu
- Vegan summer rolls
- Citrus rainbow salad
- Tofu wrap
Garden pasta salad (vegan)
Ingredients
Italian dressing
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar (can also use red wine vinegar)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 clove garlic (pressed or minced)
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1½ teaspoon salt (or salt to taste)
- ¼ cup finely grated Violife vegan parmesan (optional )
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Pasta salad
- 1 lb bag of pasta (cooked al dente)
- 2 small zucchinis
- 1-2 bell peppers
- ½ red onion
- ¼ cup kalamata olives
- ½ cup jarred artichoke hearts
- Handful of cherry tomatoes
- Handful of baby arugula (optional)
- 16 oz can of cannellini or great northern beans (drained and rinsed)
- Violife vegan feta cheese (optional but tastes really good in this)
- Top with fresh basil and grated vegan parmesan cheese at the end
Instructions
- Grill or sauté the zucchini, peppers and onions. Tastes really good to season with salt or a steak seasoning. Brush with a little olive oil if grilling.2 small zucchinis, 1-2 bell peppers, ½ red onion
- Cook your pasta according to the package. Drain and rinse with cold water1 lb bag of pasta
- Chop up your olives, artichoke hearts and tomatoes. Drain and rinse your white beans. Add them to a large mixing bowl with the cooked pasta and grilled vegetables.¼ cup kalamata olives, ½ cup jarred artichoke hearts, Handful of cherry tomatoes, 16 oz can of cannellini or great northern beans, Handful of baby arugula
- Mix together the dressing ingredients in a jar. Shake well, and pour over the pasta salad½ cup olive oil, ¼ cup white wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 clove garlic, 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ cup finely grated Violife vegan parmesan
- Top with some fresh basil and vegan parmesan cheese
Video
Notes
- I love using the spiral or bow tie pasta for this but use whatever is your favorite
- Make sure not to over cook the pasta.
- Once pasta is cooked, rinse immediately with cool water so that the pasta doesn’t continue to cook and become gummy
- If you want an even easier way to make this, use a store bought Italian dressing instead of making it yourself. Just check the ingredients that it doesn’t have cheese in it.
- If you can get your hands on some Violife vegan parmesan, or feta, do so! It tastes so good in this pasta salad
- Season your grilled veggies with some steak seasoning, or just good ol’ plain salt. Whatever you do, don’t leave them bland and unseasoned. Also make sure to brush them with a little olive oil
- If you don’t feel like grilling the vegetables, it works to sauté them as well. They taste amazing if you use a cast iron skillet.
- Top this with some fresh basil if you have it. It tastes amazing.
- This grilled veggie pasta salad tastes even better when it’s had a chance to sit in the fridge for a day. Make this the day before a party or bbq to really let the flavors sink in.
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Lori
Delicious and easy