Perfect for summer cookouts or picnics, this cold pasta salad recipe is so easy to make and delicious to eat! Filled with fresh veggies and topped with a lemon vinaigrette, it is naturally gluten free, vegan, and top 8 allergy free.
This recipe is perfect for a picnic! I love cold pasta salads in hot weather because of how easy they are to make and you can fill them with the fresh seasonal veggies of your choice.
A pasta salad is perfect because you make it in advance and let it chill, plus there is no baking or turning on the oven required; something I need more of in this hot weather!
Free From: wheat, gluten, dairy, casein, eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, coconut, fish, shellfish, crustaceans, mollusks, celery, corn, sesame, mustard, lupin, sulfites, and more
Easy Pasta Salad Ingredients
Gluten Free Pasta – I always reach for a chickpea pasta with this dish for extra protein. Plus, I like how the chickpea comes in a fun shape. But use whatever gluten free pasta you have on hand!
Fresh Veggies – My favorite ones to put in this are: cucumbers, tomatoes, kalamata olives, sliced red onion, and kale. My favorite are the tiny Persian cucumbers and I just wash them and leave the skin on. If you have a normal (bigger) cucumber, you can peel the skin off to make it easier to eat.
Lemon Vinaigrette – Mix the juice of one half of a lemon with about ½ a cup of olive oil. Add in a pinch of garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.
Optional Ingredients: Feta cheese, mozzarella cheese, zucchini, broccoli, or any other seasonal veggie!
Pasta Salad Tips
- Don’t cook your pasta to al dente, let it cook until soft. This way it will remain soft after being chilled in the fridge.
- Run your noodles under cold water to chill them before mixing with the other ingredients. You don’t want to add hot noodles to this dish!
- Add more of what you love! This pasta salad is a super base recipe to add in some of your favorites. Mix and match what you enjoy the most.
Looking for more summer recipes? Check these out!
No Bake Lemonade Cheesecake (gluten free, vegan, top 8 free)
Black Bean Burgers (gluten free, vegan, top 8 free)
Easy Homemade Granola (5 ingredients! gluten free, vegan, top 8 free)
Ingredients
- 1 lbs gluten free pasta
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 cucumber, sliced
- ⅓ cup sliced red onion
- 1 cup kale, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup kalamata olives, halved
- 1 cup feta or mozzarella cheese, optional
Lemon Dressing
- 1 lemon, juiced
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried onion flakes
- 1 teaspoon basil
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil and make pasta according to directions. Drain and rinse in cold water. Set aside.
- Make the lemon vinagrette by whisking together all ingredients, except the olive oil. When combined, slowly pour the olive oil into the lemon mixture, making sure to whisk constantly until all the oil is incorporated. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well and set in fridge to chill for at least one hour. Can be eaten warm but best served chilled. Store in fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
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