About Pasta Salad Recipe
Part healthy salad, part comforting pasta, this bright and tasty pasta salad recipe has everything you love in one dish. It’s perfect for customizing with your favorite veggies, and can easily be made with several convenient swaps. Want olives? Add olives! Don’t have fresh herbs? Add dried herbs! Whatever you’ve got on hand is great for making a simple yet satisfying pasta salad. Serve either fresh or make ahead for an easy meal, and enjoy either hot or cold. I love to have it alongside some of my other favorite Italian recipes, like Eggplant Parmesan or with a comforting Minestrone Soup. Or eat it right out of the bowl for a snack! There really is no wrong way to enjoy pasta salad with vegetables and herbs.
How to make Pasta Salad
Before you prepare the pasta salad from scratch, you have to cook the pasta, right? So let’s begin.
Cook Pasta
- Bring 4 cups of heavily salted water to a boil in a large pot on high heat. When cooking pasta you want to include enough salt so that the water “tastes like the ocean” – so don’t skimp! Add 1 cup (100 grams) ziti or your preferred small-to-medium sized pasta to the boiling water.
- Reduce the heat to medium or medium-high, so that the water continues boiling but does not bubble over. Stir the pasta in intervals as you cook for 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions.
- The pasta should be al dente, or feel free to cook longer if you like a softer texture or if you are going to serve the pasta salad cold.
- Once cooked strain the pasta in a colander. Tip: If you plan to make a cold pasta salad, then rinse the pasta in fresh water. This would loosen them up and they won’t stick. Or drizzle some olive oil on them and mix gently.
Prep Veggies & Make Mayo Dressing
- Finely chop 1 medium onion, 1 small green bell pepper (capsicum), celery and parsley. Peel and grate 1 small to medium carrot. You will need ⅓ cup finely chopped onions, ½ cup grated carrots, ⅓ cup finely chopped capsicum, 1 tablespoon minced or finely chopped celery and 1 tablespoon chopped parsley.
- This zesty mayo dressing is easy to whip up! First, take 6 tablespoons of an egg-free or vegan mayonnaise in a bowl. Add in 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard and 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. The mayonnaise that I had was a bit runny. Thanks to my recipe trials to get the perfect eggfree, vegan mayo, which I finally did achieve. Get that recipe here – Vegan & Eggless Mayonnaise
- Use a whisk to mix thoroughly.
- Add in the ground spices – ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder, ½ teaspoon sweet paprika or red chilli powder. Season with ¼ to ½ teaspoon raw sugar and add salt according to your liking. Combine and mix. Tip: Check the taste of the dressing and feel free to add more seasonings to suit your taste. You can add more sugar too. Sugar balances the acidic taste of the vinegar and mustard.
Assemble Pasta Salad
- Add the cooked pasta.
- Add the chopped onions, carrots, capsicum (bell pepper), celery and parsley.
- Toss and combine well so that the pasta and veggies are coated with the mayo dressing.
- Serve right away while warm, or allow the pasta salad to cool before storing in the fridge to chill and enjoy cold.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy pasta salad as a main dish with other Italian-inspired sides, like homemade Focaccia Bread or Garlic Breadsticks. For a lighter meal serve with fresh greens – like spinach or kale, either as a raw salad or steamed. It’s great for brunch or an afternoon lunch, or even as a hearty snack between meals!
How long will pasta salad last in the fridge?
Transfer homemade pasta salad to an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 to 3 days. The flavors will get even better as they sit together! To maintain the best texture I don’t recommend that you freeze.
Expert Tips
Veggies: Add a handful of boiled corn kernels or green peas for extra veggies. You can also add sautéed or blanched dark leafy greens, like spinach, chard or kale. Some lettuce would also taste great. Vinegar: I use red wine vinegar, but feel free to use white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or white vinegar instead. Pasta: Any medium to small pasta or macaroni can be used to make this salad. While this recipe calls for ziti, you can include fussili, bowtie, rigatoni, shell or farfalle pasta. Herbs: Add your preferred choice of fresh or dried herbs. You can also increase or decrease the quantity of herbs. Ground spices: Skip black pepper or sweet paprika if you do not prefer them. In place of sweet paprika, add ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper. Gluten-free: Make the salad with a gluten-free pasta variety.
Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter. Fresh and Creamy Avocado Salad Recipe Vegetable Salad Recipe Caesar Salad Recipe Easy Apple Salad This Pasta Salad recipe from the archives first published in January 2013 has been updated and republished on August 2023.
