This gluten-free pasta salad has all the flavours of summer. Get your veggies in with this delicious combination of pasta, fresh vegetables, and zesty dressing. The perfect BBQ appetizer or side dish!
Pasta salad has always been one of my favourite side dishes at summer birthday parties and BBQs. In fact, I would meal prep it for weeks at a time while in university.
This gluten-free summer pasta salad recipe is perfect for lunch, an appetizer, side dish, snack—you name it! With over 3 cups of vegetables, some hearty gluten-free pasta, and a zesty vinaigrette, this recipe is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
Not to mention it is gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and vegetarian! Keep reading to find the recipe along with all of my best tips and tricks for the perfect gluten-free pasta salad.
Need some more side dishes for your next party? Check these out:
- Dairy-Free Broccoli Salad
- Air Fried Potato Wedges with Garlic Aioli
- Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus
- Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Wings
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Healthy: Filled with vegetables, this pasta salad packs some nutrients.
- Easy Prep: Just a bit of chopping and waiting for pasta to boil is what's required from you during prep!
- Customizable: Easily substitute your favourite veggies for some of my suggestions here. You can also switch up the gluten-free pasta shape used.
Ingredients Needed
Here is everything you'll need to make this gluten-free pasta salad:
The great thing about this recipe is that it comes together easily with just a couple of items—and it's super customizable. There are over 3 cups of vegetables in this pasta salad! A few notes on the ingredients...
- Cherry tomatoes
- Carrots: Use regular, rainbow, or baby carrots!
- Yellow bell pepper: Use any colour pepper you have.
- Cucumber
- Broccoli florets: I like to buy broccoli crowns. They're basically just all florets, and none of the stalk!
- Red onion: I personally really like the flavour that red onion gives here, but feel free to use white or green as a substitution.
- Black olives: I love olives—I mean it's basically in my name. Feel free to use a different type of olive or omit if you're not a fan.
- Gluten-free pasta: I like to use rotini
- Pasta salad spice mix: Clubhouse is certified gluten-free in Canada!
- + additional ingredients required by spice mix
Step-by-Step Instructions
Be sure to read the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and instructions.
(1) Begin by washing and pre-chopping the vegetables.
(2) Fill a medium-size pot with water and place on the stove on high heat. Once the water has come to a boil, add a generous pinch of salt, and pour in the gluten-free pasta. Bring down to medium-high heat. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
(3) While the pasta cooks, whisk together the pasta salad spice mix along with any ingredients required by the package in a small measuring cup or bowl. When there are 3 minutes left of cook time on the pasta, add the carrots and broccoli into the pot to blanch and soften.
Once the pasta has a soft bite to it, drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
(4) Add the pasta, carrots, and broccoli to a large bowl. Add the remaining chopped vegetables.
(5) & (6) Pour the dressing on top and mix everything together with a large spoon.
Cover the bowl and let the pasta salad sit in the fridge for 1-2 hours. This will allow everything chill while the flavours mix together. Remove from the fridge just before ready to serve. Serve as a hearty gluten-free appetizer, side, or even main dish. Enjoy cold!
Serving & Storage Instructions
It is recommended to only store the pasta salad in the fridge for 1-2 hours before you plan to serve it. I find that any longer than that, and the gluten-free pasta really soaks up the oily dressing and becomes a bit hard and brittle. It will certainly be edible and delicious, but if you really must store the pasta salad for longer, say overnight, then I recommend leaving it to warm slightly at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before serving. Adding a few teaspoons of olive oil may help in reviving the pasta salad.
Any leftovers can certainly be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days, however you may want to bring it up to temperature a bit before eating.
Expert Tips
- Rinse the pasta, carrots, and broccoli with cold water. This will immediately stop the cooking process to prevent overcooked pasta. Cold pasta will also work better at not soaking up so much of the dressing as opposed to if it was still warm.
- Refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving. Any longer and the pasta may soak up the dressing and solidify. If this happens, just let the pasta salad come closer to room temperature before serving. See the above section for further tips.
- Serve as an appetizer, side, snack, or even lunch. This gluten-free pasta salad is great for a multitude of occasions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can certainly prepare this pasta salad ahead of time. Suggestions above state to refrigerate the pasta salad for 1-2 hours before serving. If you need to store longer, say overnight, that will be fine. Please note that the pasta may absorb some additional dressing and appear hard and brittle. Simply allow the pasta salad to come closer to room temperature for about 20-30 minutes before serving if this is the case.
I love that the Clubhouse Canada pasta salad dressing mix is now certified gluten-free in Canada (be sure to check your country's packaging). If you can find a pre-mixed pasta salad dressing, great. If not, I recommend a combination of garlic powder, onion powder, dried basil, dehydrated bell pepper, pinch of sugar, salt, pepper, olive oil, and white vinegar (or apple cider vinegar). *Not sponsored
And there you have a delicious gluten-free summer pasta salad—perfect for BBQs, birthday parties, lunch, and more. A quick, easy, and delicious recipe that is gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and vegetarian. Perfect for everyone to enjoy!
Have you made this gluten-free pasta salad? I'd very much appreciate it if you leave a comment below and tag me on instagram @livglutenfree!
More Side Dishes You'll Love
Recipe
Gluten-Free Summer Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup carrots, peeled and diced
- ½ cup yellow bell pepper, diced
- ½ cup cucumber, sliced into rounds then quartered
- ¾ cup broccoli florets, chopped
- ¼ cup red onion, diced
- ¼ cup black olives, pitted and sliced
- ½ lb gluten-free pasta (220g) I like to use rotini
- 1 package gluten-free pasta salad spice mix Clubhouse is certified gluten-free in Canada
- + additional ingredients specified by spice mix ¼ cup white vinegar, ½ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Begin by washing and pre-chopping the vegetables. Fill a medium-size pot with water and place on the stove on high heat. Once the water has come to a boil, add a generous pinch of salt, and pour in the gluten-free pasta. Bring down to medium-high heat.
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. While it cooks, whisk together the pasta salad spice mix along with any ingredients required by the package in a small measuring cup or bowl. When there are 3 minutes left of cook time on the pasta, add the carrots and broccoli into the pot to blanch and soften.
- Once the pasta has a soft bite to it, drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Add the pasta, carrots, and broccoli to a large bowl. Add the remaining chopped vegetables. Pour the dressing on top and mix everything together with a large spoon.
- Cover the bowl and let the pasta salad sit in the fridge for 1-2 hours (see note below). This will allow everything chill while the flavours mix together. Remove from the fridge just before ready to serve. Serve as a hearty gluten-free appetizer, side, or even main dish. Enjoy cold!
Let us know what you think!