Vegan Pasta Salad

Growing up in Italy, I’ve had hundreds of pasta salads or “pasta fredda” as we call them.

During scorching hot summer days, my nonna Lidia would make all kinds of summer salads with legumes to help cool us down.

Farro salad, barley salad and rice salad still stand out to me as some of my absolute favorites.

She would usually serve them with a side of homemade mayonnaise. My cousin and I would add several dollops to our portions 🙈.

This pasta recipe is inspired by nonna Lidia’s (non-negotiable) rules regarding pasta salad making.

• 👵🏻 Short, al dente pasta, such as bowtie, fusilli or penne pasta.
• 🫘 Legumes, she preferred beans or chickpeas.
• 🥒 Something pickled, such as giadiniera, olives, or gherkins.
• 🫒 Quick vinaigrette with generous amounts of extra virgin olive oil.
• 🌿 Plenty of Fresh parsley.

If you have never been to Italy, know that there are few rules for driving a car, but many and very set rules regarding how to cook pasta 😋.

I admit, this pasta salad is a slightly modernized version of her easiest pasta salad recipe. But the core principles remain the same. Enjoy!

Find complete ingredient list, quantities, and substitutions in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

• Pasta: We recommend using a short pasta type with nooks and crannies for the dressing to hide, such as bow ties (farfalle), rotini, fusilli, elbow macaroni, or penne. If you want to use long pasta, check out our spaghetti pasta salad recipe instead.
• Beans: Cannellini beans are our favorite. You can use canned beans or cooked dried white beans. Substitute other white bean varieties.
• Tomatoes: You can use any small tomato. Substitute red pepper for tomatoes.
• Sun–dried tomatoes: Preserved in oil (drained from their oil before use). Substitute marinated artichoke hears for sun-dried tomatoes.
• Corn: We use canned or frozen whole-kernel corn. Substitute yellow bell pepper for corn.
• Olives: Add a salty, umami-rich taste. Make sure you get pitted olives or remove the pit before adding them to the salad. You can use Kalamata olives, Taggiasche Olives, or generic black or green olives in brine or oil. Substitute marinated artichoke hearts, or capers for olives.
• Cucumber: Any. Substitute celery or diced zucchini for cucumber.
• Red onions: Substitute shallots or spring onions for red onions.
• Fresh herbs: We use fresh flat-leaf parsley and fresh basil. Substitute cilantro (fresh coriander), dill, chives, or mint.
• Dressing: extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon, maple syrup, Mustard, dried oregano, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper.

Step 1: Cook the Pasta

Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water as per package instructions.

Drain the pasta and rinse it under cold water for 10 seconds to avoid overcooking.

Transfer the cooked pasta to a large mixing bowl, drizzle with a few drops of olive oil, and mix well. The oil prevents the pasta from sticking while you prep the veggies.

2. Chop the vegetables

While the pasta cooks, you can chop the vegetables.

Cut tomatoes in half or quarters. Cut olives in half. Drain the canned corn. Drain and rinse the white beans. Chop the cucumber. Thinly slice the red onion. Finely chop the fresh parsley and basil.

Add all chopped veggies to the bowl with the pasta, then make the dressing.

3. Make the dressing

To a small bowl, add extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, mustard, dried oregano, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.

Optionally, you can add in some grated lemon zest.

Whisk well until the ingredients are emulsified (i.e., the vinegar and the oil become one).

Alternatively, add all ingredients to a small mason jar, close it, and shake well.

4. Mix the salad

Pour the dressing onto the other ingredients and toss well.

Before serving, check for salt, acidity, or extra drizzle of dressing – cold pasta tends to mellow flavor, so adjust as needed.

You can now serve the pasta salad or store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

Tip: This recipe gets more flavorful if you let it sit for 30 minutes as the ingredients and the dressing have time to meld.

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If you tried this Vegan Pasta Salad recipe or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it goes in the comments. We love hearing from you!