It was so hard not to just sit and go down memory lane with all of the photos, letters, cards, and mementos we found. I even found a huge bag of art I made in elementary school and a folder full of recipes I started collecting in high school. Ha! Yep, I’ve always been a recipe addict.
Food ain’t safe unless it has your name on it in my family. Thankfully, she was so kind to give me the recipe and even gave me permission to post it on my site for you guys. My family is so generous with their recipes. Gosh, I freakin love them!
Since it’s cookout season, I thought a creamy vegan pasta salad would be the perfect addition to the cookout menu. Chances are, you also have a few vegans in your circle.
creamy vegan pasta salad recipe
THE CREAMY VEGAN DRESSING
The mix of Veganaise, mustard, jalapenos, garlic, and spices creates one zesty and creamy dressing! If you taste the dressing before adding it to the pasta you might think it’s way too bold, but rest assured once it’s mixed with the pasta and all those veggies, it’s perfectly mild, making it kid and adult-friendly. I could actually go for upping the mustard and jalapenos for more tang and heat!
For the veggies, you could probably use a mix of your favorites but I adore the mix of celery, yellow, red, and green bell peppers, red onions, black olives, and tomatoes. My aunt doesn’t add tomatoes in hers but I love how cool and juicy the tomatoes are in this recipe.
CREAMY VEGAN PASTA SALAD
TRIED AND TRUE, CREAMY VEGAN PASTA SALAD MADE WITH SIMPLE, FRESH INGREDIENTS AND A TANGY DRESSING! A FAMILY FAVORITE AND SO EASY TO MAKE
Ingredients
▢1 lb elbow macaroni
▢1 1/2 cups Vegenaise vegan mayonnaise
▢1/3 cup yellow mustard
▢1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons diced jalapeños canned or jar
▢2 tablespoons minced garlic I used the jar of minced garlic + some of the juice
▢1/2 teaspoon black pepper
▢1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt sea salt or smoked salt
▢1 teaspoon sugar
▢1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
▢1/2 cup red onion finely diced
▢1/3 cup red bell peppers finely diced
▢1/3 cup yellow bell peppers finely diced
▢1/2 cup green bell peppers finely diced
▢1/2 cup celery finely diced
▢1 cup cherry tomatoes diced
▢1 cup black olives sliced
▢1/4- 1/2 cup veggie bacon bits optional
Instructions
Cook pasta according to package in lightly salted water (Make sure water tastes kinda salty. This will help season the pasta) until slightly under al dente (I boiled for 6 minutes)
Drain and place in the fridge until cold (I do not rinse)
To make the dressing, in a large bowl add veganaise, mustard, jalapeños, garlic, black pepper, salt, sugar, and Italian seasoning until combined. ( You can blend if you want for a stronger jalapeño taste. Refrigerate dressing overnight for best results)
When pasta is cool, toss pasta with remaining vegetables, dressing, and veggie bacon bits if using.
Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
Serve cold and stir before serving.
Notes
This is really good with veggie bacon bites!If you are worried about the pasta absorbing too much of the sauce, you can refrigerate the sauce and the pasta mixed with the veggies separately and then mix it all together when you are ready to serve it.
