Gluten Free Pasta Salad
This is the best gluten free pasta salad! It’s veggie and protein packed, easy to make and perfect for a summer barbecue or picnic. Topped with a homemade olive oil vinaigrette and great for meal prep.
My mom always made so many pasta salads when I was young. Except I would pick out all of the veggies and literally just eat the pasta lol. Times have certainly changed and now I love extra veggies in my gluten free pasta salad! This particular one has cucumber, tomato, red onion, pepperoncini and parsley.
The salad itself has grilled chicken, but you can instead omit the chicken from the salad and serve it alongside some lemon pepper salmon or lemon pepper tofu for a vegan option.
You can prep the veggies and dressing all while the pasta cooks, so everything can be done and ready to go in about 20 minutes! It’s perfect for a summer barbecue or picnic and even better with my s’mores rice krispies for dessert. Try my gluten free orzo salad or mediterranean chopped salad next!
Before we get started!
- This recipe is naturally gluten free and dairy free, no subs are needed to make this allergy friendly.
- I used diced up chicken breast, but shredded rotisserie chicken would also be delicious and add some extra flavor.
- I suggest slightly over cooking your pasta since gluten free pasta can firm up a bit as it sits in the fridge.
How to make gluten free pasta salad
COOK PASTA. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions. Always salt the water really well, this will help gluten free pasta taste better!
For gluten free pasta salad, I actually recommend over cooking the pasta just by about 1 minute because it tends to firm up as it sits in the fridge. No need to do this if you’re planning to serve it all the same day!
PREP VEGGIES. Meanwhile, prep all veggies and add to a large salad bowl. I like dicing the cucumber and red onion pretty finely.
MAKE DRESSING. Whisk together all ingredients for the dressing and set aside. I also love this salad dressing shaker to make it easy!
COMBINE & SERVE. When the pasta is done, rinse with cold water (this will just stop the cooking process and chill the pasta since it’s a salad!) then add to the bowl. Toss with the dressing until well combined. Serve and enjoy!
Key ingredients
PASTA. When it comes to gluten free pasta, brown rice pasta is the absolute closest to the regular stuff. I love a good lentil or legume based pasta, but brown rice pasta just has the best texture! I specifically love Jovial pasta, I used the fusili for this recipe. You can use a chickpea or legume based pasta if you prefer, but those pastas do tend to be a bit drier after they sit in the fridge.
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VEGGIES. The beauty of pasta salad is that you can use just about any veggies you like and it will still be delicious. I went with a more greek pasta salad theme and did cucumber, tomato, red onion and pepperoncini, but feel free to get creative!
CHICKEN. For protein, I used two grilled chicken breasts that I chopped up into bite sized pieces. For a vegan option, you can use chickpeas or another white bean.
DRESSING. This simple vinaigrette is made from olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, dijon mustard, honey for sweetness and some dried herbs and spices.
Can you eat gluten free pasta cold?
Yes! But there is a caveat. Gluten free pasta tends to firm up a bit as it sits in the fridge, so I do suggest overcooking it just slightly- maybe a minute or so.
I wouldn’t usually recommend doing that but it can help the pasta stay soft while it’s in the fridge. If you’re going to serve it all right away, no need to do this! Just cook as usual, then rinse it so it’s cold and stops cooking, then you’re good to go.
How to store
Once prepared, this gluten free pasta salad will keep in the fridge for up to 3-5 days. Keep it covered with foil or in an air tight container for best results.
Since it’s a salad, just eat it right from the fridge – there’s no need to heat it up so it’s perfect for an on the go lunch.
Other additions and variations
CHEESE. Because this recipe has more of a greek vibe to it, some fresh feta cheese would pair really well with the other flavors. However, it’s kind of a mixed cuisine because of the pepperoncini and Italian seasoning, so mozzarella balls would also be great!
BEANS. I love adding a can of chickpeas for extra protein and fiber! Just drain and rinse before adding to the salad.
VEGGIES. Olives, bell peppers, carrots are all great additions to pasta salad. Some will give more of an Italian feel, some more greek, but whatever you like is good!
PROTEIN. I added chicken, but many Italian pasta salads will have Salami for protein instead.
More gluten free pasta recipes!
- Vegan Vodka Pasta
- Sundried Tomato Tahini Pasta
- Lemon Chicken Pasta
- Broccoli Pesto Pasta
- Street Corn Pasta Salad
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Gluten Free Pasta Salad
by: claire cary
Ingredients
Salad
- 12 ounces gluten free pasta of choice I used brown rice pasta
- ½ cup red onion finely diced
- 12 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes halved
- 1 large cucumber (or 3 mini ones) diced
- ½ cup sliced pepperoncini
- 2 grilled chicken breasts chopped
- ⅓ cup fresh chopped parsley
- ½ cup feta cheese optional
Dressing
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions.
- For gluten free pasta salad, I actually recommend over cooking the pasta just by about 1 minute because it tends to firm up as it sits in the fridge. No need to do this if you’re planning to serve it all the same day!
- Meanwhile, prep all veggies and add to a large salad bowl.
- Whisk together all ingredients for the dressing and set aside. I also love this salad dressing shaker.
- When the pasta is done, rinse with cold water then add to the salad bowl.
- Toss with the dressing until well combined.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Comments
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I was recently diagnosed with Grave’s disease so gluten had to go. This salad was an absolute delight. It’s hearty yet light, sweet with a little tang and just delicious! This will be added to my monthly rotation.
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Thank you, SJ! So glad you loved it, hope you get to try other recipes as well!
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