VEGAN ITALIAN PASTA SALAD

As per special request, today I whipped up a big bowl of vegan Italian pasta salad featuring my homemade Italian dressing. This version includes only vegetables and pasta, whereas the classic includes mozarella and salami. Mostly because I didn’t have those ingredients in my kitchen! We also didn’t have Italian dressing… so I made my own. I swear it’s super easy to make your own dressing. I do it all the time! Most of my recipes come from inspiration to make a classic dish while working with what I already have on-hand.

Today we’re going to gather up some of our favorite vegetables for this vegan italian pasta salad; broccoli, red onion, bell peppers, cucumbers, black olives and scallions. This time I used canned whole black olives, but we do slice them, so if you’d prefer to buy pre-sliced that will help skip a step! I prefer whole just because typically sliced aren’t available in low sodium. I buy almost all of my canned goods low sodium. You’d be surprised how much salt is in your canned items and they’re perfectly fine with a little bit less. Plus I always end up adding more salt when I’m cooking, so it’s my way to balance it out a bit and keep my fingers from swelling.

Another tip to skip a step in this recipe is to use pre-made Italian dressing of course. A few of my favorites can be found here and here. Although the DIY version is super simple with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, italian seasoning, fresh garlic, salt and pepper. Don’t have italian seasoning? It’s a mix of oregano, marjoram, thyme, basil, rosemary and sage. You can find a super easy blend recipe here.

This special request for Italian pasta salad came in from babe since we’re grilling out tonight. Pasta salad is a classic grilling side dish, don’t you think? One of my other favorites is potato salad! You can snag my favorite AVOCADO POTATO SALAD recipe too if you’re going for a whole grilling spread! Or check out this delicious roundup of 5 SUMMER BBQ RECIPES on the blog for even more grilling inspiration.

Yield: 10

VEGAN ITALIAN PASTA SALAD

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Classic Italian pasta salad goes vegan with tons of fresh vegetables and homemade Italian dressing.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 7 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 47 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 lb uncooked pasta (I prefer penne!)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 c apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
• a pinch of salt and pepper
• 1 c black olives, drained and sliced
• 1 c bell peppers, diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1/2 cucumber, chopped
• 1 1/2 c broccoli, chopped
• 1/4 c scallions, chopped

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, use salted water for more flavor. Allow to cool slightly, drain and toss with a little olive oil to prevent sticking. Avoid rinsing with water.
2. Mix to combine garlic, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Drizzle over pasta and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, assure all of your vegetables are chopped into super tiny bite-size pieces. Small enough to have one of each all on the same fork for the perfect bite!
4. Toss vegetables in pasta and enjoy.

Notes

The vegetables are almost half of the pasta salad, so make sure you have a large enough bowl before combining with pasta.

Refrigerate for up to 3 days. This recipe tastes better the longer you let it marinate. Leftovers are prime!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 297Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 134mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 3gSugar: 2gProtein: 7g

Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate.