Cold Italian Pasta Salad (Gluten-Free, Vegan, Allergy-Free)

 

A Classic Italian Pasta Salad that’s gluten-free, vegan, and allergy-free! The cold pasta salad you love, with tri-colored pasta, fresh veggies, and a healthy homemade Italian dressing! A super easy and quick meat-free vegetarian and dairy-free recipe that’s a perfect side dish to feed any crowd!

side overhead view of cold Italian pasta salad in bowl with image text

Literally, can we just take a moment to recognize the pure and utter deliciousness of Italian pasta salads? I’ve never met a soul who doesn’t like a scoop of those cold tri-colored rotini noodles, bright, fresh, crunchy veggies, and that herby vinegary Italian dressing. I understand why some people don’t like a classic American macaroni salad, but the mayoless pasta salad? You just can’t say no! All pasta salads SCREAM summer and one that’s so full of bright colors, it takes the top spot! And with this recipe, everyone can enjoy! It’s gluten-free, vegan, and allergy-free, so bring it on!angle view of vegan Italian pasta salad in bowl

ingredients for a vegan italian pasta salad
As with this summer veggie pasta salad, all cold pasta salads I’ve ever had growing up have been meat-free, but I guess some families make them with meats such as pepperoni and even include dairy like mozzarella. Not here! This one is all about the gluten-free pasta, veggies, and homemade Italian dressing!

Gluten-Free Tri-Color Rotini (you can use plain gluten-free rotini too)
English Cucumber
Bell Peppers (1 red, 1 orange, 1 yellow)
Red Onion
Grape Tomatoes
Black Olives
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Red Wine Vinegar
Dried Oregano, Basil, and Parsley
Salt & Black Pepper

This recipe serves a CROWD. Since it is no meat or dairy, it will last longer than other cold pasta salads. You can store it in the fridge for a week, making it a perfect side dish or even entree to meal prep! This way, if you don’t have a crowd to feed all in one go, you can enjoy this gluten-free pasta salad as you need!

how to make the pasta salad from scratch
This is SUCH an easy recipe and so quick to make! It’s just chopping up fresh veggies, boiling some gluten-free pasta, and tossing everything together in one BIG bowl!

Boil the gluten-free rotini according to package directions, minus about 2 minutes to keep the noodles from getting mushy.
In the meantime, chop ALL the vegetables and toss them into a bowl.
Drain and rinse the pasta to stop the cooking process and quickly cool the noodles down, before adding them to the chopped veggies.
Measure out the Italian dressing ingredients, pour and sprinkle them into the bowl, and give everything a really good toss to coat and combine.
Let the pasta salad marinate and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving. Preferably let the cold pasta salad sit in the fridge overnight and serve it the next day for optimal deliciousness.

making the homemade italian dressing
There’s no need to dirty an extra bowl for this. Just measure out the olive oil, vinegar, and herbs and add them right into the pasta salad bowl. You can season to taste here with the herbs and spices you have on hand. Besides the parsley, oregano, and basil, some other flavors you can include:

 Rosemary
Dried Marjoram
Dried Thyme
Ground Sage
Minced Garlic
A squirt of Lemon Juice

big bowl of classic Italian Pasta salad with two small serving plates

the best way to store and serve gluten-free italian pasta salad
Store the finished pasta salad in a covered bowl or container in the fridge for up to one week.
Let the pasta salad sit and chill for a minimum of 30 minutes in the fridge before serving. Ideally, let it sit overnight to really marinate!
Toss the pasta salad before serving to distribute all the dressing and flavors again. Serve it cold or bring it room temperature for optimal flavor.
Don’t leave leftovers out of the fridge any more than an hour or 2 to prevent spoilage.

a healthy summer side dish for any bbq or cookout
This easy pasta salad is a staple during the summer months, but if you ask me, it should be a staple year-round! Pasta, veggies, tons of flavor with no-fuss? It’s perfect not only as a dinner side dish, but makes a killer lunch that doesn’t need to be reheated! Meal prepping win! Adult and kid-friendly, you can please everyone since it’s…

Cold Italian Pasta Salad (gluten-free, vegan, allergy-free)

A Classic Italian Pasta Salad that’s gluten-free, vegan, and allergy-free! The cold pasta salad you love, with tri-colored pasta, fresh veggies, and a healthy homemade Italian dressing! A super easy and quick meat-free vegetarian and dairy-free recipe that’s a perfect side dish to feed any crowd!

Ingredients

12 oz Gluten-Free Tri-Color Rotini*
2 Cups Chopped English Cucumber (1 large cucumber)
3 Cups Chopped Red Bell Pepper (1 medium pepper)
3 Cups Chopped Orange Bell Pepper (1 medium pepper)
2 Cups Chopped Yellow Bell Pepper (1 medium pepper)
2 Cups Halved Grape Tomatoes (1 pint)
1 Cup Chopped Red Onion (about ½ medium onion)
1 Cup Sliced Black Olives (1 3.8 oz can)
italian dressing:
½ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ Cup Red Wine Vinegar
1 TB Dried Parsley
1 TB Dried Oregano
2 Tsp Dried Basil
½ Tsp Black Pepper
instructions
Boil the gluten-free rotini according to package directions, minus about 2 minutes to keep the noodles from getting mushy.

In the meantime, chop the bell peppers, cucumber, tomatoes, onion, and toss them into a large bowl with the sliced black olives.
Drain and rinse the pasta under cold water to stop the cooking process before adding them to the chopped veggies.
Measure and add the olive oil, vinegar, and seasonings to the pasta salad bowl.
Gently mix and toss everything together in the bowl to combine.
Let the pasta salad marinate and chill in the fridge, for at least 30 minutes (preferably overnight), before serving.
Enjoy cool, at room temperature.