Vegan Zesty Italian Pasta Salad

Ingredients

For the Cold Pasta Salad

• Pasta: Fusilli is great for pasta salads because there’s lot of surface area for more zesty dressing in every bite! Other pasta shapes that work well are macaroni, penne, bows and rotini. For a run eye-catching look, try tricolor pasta. I think orzo would be yummy too!
• Cannellini Beans: Canned beans work great but you could also cook your own from scratch. You’ll need 1 19 oz can, which is about 2.5 cups. Drain and rinse them before using. Chickpeas also work well here.
• Olives: The recipe calls for green olives but you can use kalamata or black olives as well. If you don’t like olives, it’s ok to leave them out.
• Artichoke Hearts: These may come in a can or jar. Drain and chop them up before use.
• Capers: You can find these in small jars in the grocery store. If you can’t find them or it’s not an ingredient you often use or have access to, it’s ok to leave them out of the recipe or you can substitute a bit of diced red onion, shallot or pickled pepperoncinis.
• Arugula: Use fresh arugula or substitute another green like spinach. You can also skip it, no big deal!
• Cherry Tomato: Cherry or grape tomatoes work best for this recipe though if you can’t find them, you can use diced Roma, San Marzano or any other variety of fresh tomato.
• Fresh Herbs: The salad features fresh parsley and oregano for plenty of fresh flavour though if you don’t have the fresh herbs to add, the Italian dressing still adds lots of herby goodness.

This list is not complete. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements and detailed instructions.

Other veggies that work in this salad are pepperoncini peppers, broccoli, bell peppers and cucumber, so feel free to mix and match as needed!

For the Italian Pasta Salad Dressing

• Red Wine Vinegar: Red wine vinegar is best but you could substitute white vinegar if needed.
• Dried Herbs: You’ll need dried oregano and basil. You could also use Italian seasoning.
• Dijon Mustard: Any variety of dijon works.
• Garlic: Grate the garlic so it’s almost like a paste.
• Chili Flakes: Add just a little bit of zip to the dressing. If you’re sensitive to spice, you can omit them.
• Lemon: You’ll need a whole fresh lemon to make the juice and zest.
• Olive Oil: I don’t recommend omitting this because it helps to emulsify and balance the zesty dressing.
• Tahini: Adds just a touch of creaminess to the dressing.

Variations

• Zesty Italian Pasta Salad with Mayo: To make this a creamy Italian salad, you can add up to 1/2 cup of mayo to the dressing.
• Pasta Salad with Cheese: You can use any store-bought feta cheese you enjoy or try this tofu feta. Sometimes people add cubed cheddar or mozzarella cheese to pasta salads or you can spinkle the salad with parmesan cheese.
• Broccoli: Finely chopped and lightly steamed or blanched broccoli works well in this recipe. If you’d like to try it, use 2 cups chopped.
• Chickpeas: Use chickpeas instead of white beans for chickpea pasta salad.
• Pepperoni: This is a vegan recipe so it’s made without pepperoni or salami. If you have a plant-based meat alternative you enjoy, go ahead and throw it in or serve it on top.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil on the stovetop. Once it’s fully boiling, add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions for al dente.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain and rinse well under cold water to stop the cooking and remove starch to prevent the noodles from sticking together. Toss the noodles around a bit so all the pieces get rinsed.

Step 3: Make the dressing in any bowl or container, just whisk or shake until fully combined.

Step 4: Finally, add the dressing to your salad and mix it all up. Season with salt and pepper, if needed and enjoy!

Quick Tip: The salad is delicious served right away but even better after chilled in the fridge for 1-2 hours.

Tips

1. Cook the pasta al dente. Cook the pasta al dente according to the package, rinse well and do not add oil or butter to the cooked pasta.
2. Make 1-2 hours ahead for the best flavour. This allows the flavours to really mix together and marinate the pasta.