Try this zesty pasta salad for your next picnic or party! A homemade dressing and lots of colorful veggies makes this Italian pasta salad a tasty addition to any menu.
Pasta salad is a great dish to make in the summertime. You can make it for a gathering, like a picnic or graduation party, or you can make it at home and serve it for lunch for a few days. I’m a big fan of any meal that I can make ahead, especially during the hot summer months.
I like to make my own dressing for pasta salad, that way I know exactly what’s in it! If you have food allergies, you know that’s always a concern. It can be tough to find a safe, store bought dressing for salad.
You can make this with any pasta that works for your dietary needs. There are so many brands of gluten free pasta out there. Feel free to use the one that works for you!
Ingredient Notes
- Garbanzo Beans – If you have a legume allergy, you can just leave the garbanzo beans out. I like adding them because they are a nice source of protein, but this salad will still be filling and flavorful without them.
- Mini Cucumbers – I like mini cucumbers in this salad. If you can’t find those, just use a regular cucumber.
- Pepperoni – Pepperoni adds flavor and texture to this salad. You could also use salami.
- Dill Pickles – I like the tangy flavor of chopped dill pickles in this recipe. If you have dill relish, you could use that instead.
- Gluten Free Pasta – There are many brands of gluten free pasta. Some brands to take a look at are Ancient Harvest, Jovial, and Tinkyada.
Step by Step Instructions
- Cook the gluten free pasta according to package directions. I used Jovial gluten free rotini, but feel free to use any brand or pasta shape that you like.
- Cut up the sweet onions, peppers, mini cucumbers, and tomatoes and put them in a large bowl.
- Rinse and rain the chickpeas, then add them to the bowl. Add the pepperoni or salami, and dill pickles.
- Put the ingredients for the dressing in a mini food processor and blend together.
- Add the cooked and drained pasta to the bowl, then add the dressing.
- Stir well until everything is coated in dressing. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
Serve this pasta salad with:
Storage
Store leftover pasta salad in the refrigerator. It should stay fresh for about 4 days. Pasta tends to soak up the dressing, so if you are keeping it for a while, you may have to make more dressing to add to the leftovers before eating them.
Learn to make SAFE, tasty food for your family. Join my community today and start getting all my best tips, tricks, and allergy friendly recipes in your inbox.
Disclosure: This post contains paid affiliate links.
Recipe
Gluten Free Italian Pasta Salad.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup sweet onion finely chopped
- 1 cup mini cucumbers chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- ¾ cup tomatoes chopped
- 15 ounces garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
- ½ cup chopped dill pickles or dill pickle relish
- 4 ounces pepperoni chopped (you can also use salami if you prefer)
- 6 ounces gluten free rotini
For the dressing:
- ½ cup olive oil
- â…“ cup white vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- â…“ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup Italian parsley
- ¼ cup cilantro
Instructions
- Cook the gluten free pasta according to package directions. Once it's done, rinse it with cold water to cool it off, then drain and set aside. You can chop the veggies and prepare the dressing while the pasta is cooking.
- Chop the onion, pepper, mini cucumbers, and tomatoes, and place in a large bowl.
- Rinse and drain the garbanzo beans and add them to the bowl. Add the pepperoni and chopped dill pickles to the bowl.
- Prepare the dressing – place the dressing ingredients in a mini food processor or blender and blend to combine.
- Add the cooled pasta and dressing to the bowl.
- Stir everything together to coat with the dressing. Enjoy!
D
This is a delicious salad!