Gluten Free Pasta Salad is the perfect, easy summer treat made with amazing fresh ingredients! This pasta salad is perfect as a side salad or even as the main dish.
Why you’ll love this recipe!
Making about 4 healthy servings, this pasta salad truly hits the spot! If you doubt gluten free pasta recipes this is the one for you. We'll walk through the key ingredients & how you can make the best gluten free pasta salad ever!
I love this recipe so much and i think you will too because:
- It is packed with tons of fresh zucchini, Brussel sprouts, and other delicious veggies
- The dressing only has 8 simple ingredients
- this salad comes together in under 30 minutes!
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Ingredients for the pasta salad
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Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
The ingredients in this gluten free pasta salad are very strait forward and comes together so quickly. If you're short an ingredient, you can leave it out or even substitute a veggie for another similar one!
The ingredients you will need to make the pasta salad consist of:
- Pasta - Gluten free pasta can be finicky - for real! I recommend Jovial brown rice pasta, but of course use what is available to you.
- Veggies - In this recipe, I used broccolini, yellow pepper, zucchini & shaved brussel sprout. Use whatever you have on hand or love!
- Dressing - Definitely follow the dressing recipe to the T and then taste and add more salt/pepper or another ingredient if needed.
- Add Ons - In this case, I added Kalamata olives! These olives are salty and very strongly flavored. Feel free to use your favorite olive variation.
Ingredients for the Italian dressing
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Here is a visual overview of the dressing ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
This Italian dressing couldn’t be any easier! It’s tangy and has a bit of garlic and olives which make it so delicious! So, lets run through the ingredients:
- Olive oil - This is the base I use for almost all my dressings. I like to use a good quality extra virgin olive oil.
- Red wine vinegar - Vinegar adds the perfect tang to this pasta salad.
- Dried oregano, basil, and garlic powder - These spices are going to make the dressing truly come to life!
- Olive juice - I used kalamata olive juice. The olive juice is optional, but I think it adds great flavor.
Ingredient swaps
This pasta salad is very flexible and forgiving if you want to substitute an ingredient. Here are some easy ingredient swaps that will work perfectly:
- Use regular pasta instead of gluten free pasta. If you want to use a non gluten free pasta, the results will remain the same.
- Substitute for other veggies. If you don't have broccolini, broccoli will work just fine as well. If you want to include another vegetable that you love, go for it!
- If you don’t have red wine vinegar, swap it for balsamin vinegar. It won’t have the same flavor, but will still be super delicious!
Instructions
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Here is a visual overview of the steps to make this recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for exact details.
This is the first of many pasta salad recipes on the site, and I'm excited to share it with you for its vibrant colors & bright flavors. It is also an extremely flexible and versatile pasta recipe, since you can swap veggies for your favorites. Use this recipe as a guideline and go from there!
What ingredients do you need for the pasta salad?
You will need only a handful of veggies and some basic dressing components to create this delicious salad. This salad has a hint of a Greek vibe from the Kalamata olives & the dressing is more of an Italian variation. Such a fun mix!
Prepare in Advance
You can refrigerate this pasta salad for up to 4-5 days! All the veggies should stay fresh, stored in an airtight container or even a ziplock. I find that as the salad sits, the flavors meld and it becomes even more delicious. I recommend letting the salad sit in the fridge for 4-6 hours before serving.
Questions You May Have, Answered
What equipment do I need? Nothing fancy! We're using a large bowl and pots to boil the pasta & veggies in. No other equipment needed.
Can I scale this recipe? 100% feel free to double or triple this recipe! Just add the dressing slowly and mix. Don't add all the dressing at once.
Gluten Free Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Salad:
- 12 oz box gluten free pasta I love Jovial
- 1 yellow pepper sliced
- 2 cups shaved brussel sprouts
- ½ zucchini thinly sliced into circles
- ⅓ cup kalamata olives halved
- 2 bunches of broccolini stems removed, and cut into pieces
Dressing:
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon juice from kalamata olives optional
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water after cooking.
- Bring water to a boil in a medium pot with 1 tablespoon of salt.
- Blanch broccoli in boiling water for 1 minute, then use a slotted spoon to remove and place into a bowl filled with ice water. Place onto a towel and pat dry.
- Next, blanch shaved brussel sprouts in boiling water for 30 seconds, then use a slotted spoon to remove and place into a bowl filled with ice water. Place onto a towel and pat dry.
- Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss together.
- Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a medium bowl until combined.
- Pour ¾ of the dressing over the salad and toss together. Taste and add more dressing as needed. Enjoy!
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