Make This Easy, Colorful, Healthy, Tasty Pasta Salad!
Today we are sharing an easy pasta salad recipe that is vegetarian. Do you enjoy vegetarian pasta salads? This pasta salad is packed with fresh vegetables, artichoke hearts, black olives, and makes a great side dish, or dinner idea! And it’s vegetarian.
Looking for other recipes? Here is where to find even more pasta salad recipes.
Easy Pasta Salad Recipe
How to make an Easy Pasta Salad – Start with fresh vegetables and pasta cooked al dente… Use can use homemade salad dressings or purchase store-bought dressings.
- Find all our side dishes, salad ideas, and recipes in our recipe index.
First start by gathering all your vegetables, and kitchen supplies. I like using vegetables that are in season, and fresh. Start by washing and chopping your veggies.
Ingredients for pasta salad
- 1 purple onion
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- basket of cherry tomatoes
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 orange bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 3 stalks celery (optional) another alternative is cucumbers
- Italian flat-leaf parsley 1/2 cup
- 1 can pitted black olives
- artichoke hearts (we use one small jar or part of a jar_
- 1 box of rotini pasta shells, seashell pasta, or (vegetarian, and gluten-free) chickpea pasta shells
- Homemade salad dressing or your favorite salad dressing, such as Italian dressing.
(we use one small jar or part of a jar_
, 
. - If looking for more pasta salad ideas you might like this chicken pasta salad recipe. The post has homemade pasta salad dressing recipes, perfect for this recipe. Or you can make it easy on yourself and use your favorite dressing. Our favorite is Ken’s Italian Dressing.
. 
Kitchen tools you’ll need to make this recipe
- cutting board
- chef knife
- mixing spoon
- large serving bowl
- cooking pot or stockpot (or one like my pot)
- colander
- hot pads
)
I like to chop my vegetables beforehand, and while the water is boiling for the noodles, allowing me enough time to have the vegetables all chopped ready for the cold pasta to be added to the pasta salad.
When I am halfway done with the chopping I start my pasta water boiling, with a pinch of salt dashed into the water.
Do not overcook. Cook to the package al dente directions. There are several types of pasta you can use for cold pasta salad. On this day I used rotini
, another favorite is seashell pasta
. But, if you are looking for a lower-carb, gluten-free vegetarian pasta shell you might like to try the chickpea pasta. Or the organic vegetable seashell pasta
.
How to make pasta salad
- Gather your ingredients and tools
- Wash and chop vegetables
- Boil water in a pot for pasta
- Cook pasta al dente, strain, and rinse in cold water while in your colander
- Mix together your cold pasta and chopped vegetables
- Add in your chopped black olives and artichoke hearts
- Add salad dressing (reserving some salad dressing) allow flavors to blend into salad
- Store in refrigerator until needed, covered with saran wrap or other covering
- Mix and serve
or other covering Mix your vegetables together and add your pasta in next gently mixing everything all the ingredients together. Use a larger mixing bowl
, and then put your salad into your mixing bowl if needed.
Add salad dressing before your ready to serve mix, store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Tip: Reserve some dressing to add just before serving, or in case someone would like more dressing.
Pasta salads like this make an easy dinner idea in the summer or can be used as a side dish.
Easy, peasy right! Serve this at your next party, a family gathering like a potluck, barbecue, or picnic.
Vegetarian Pasta Salad
Easy Pasta Salad Recipe That is Colorful, Healthy, Tasty and Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 purple onion
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- basket of cherry tomatoes
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 orange bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 3 stalks celery optional another alternative is cucumbers
- Italian flat-leaf parsley 1/2 cup
- 1 can pitted black olives drain and chop
- Jar of artichoke hearts drain and chop into bite size pieces
- 1 box of rotini pasta shells sea shell pasta, or (vegetarian, and gluten free) chick pea pasta shells
- Homemade salad dressing or your favorite salad dressing such as Italian dressing.
Instructions
-
How to make pasta salad
-
Gather your ingredients and tools
-
Wash and chop vegetables
-
Boil water in a pot for pasta with a dash of salt
-
Cook pasta al dente (according to your package directions), strain, and rinse in cold water while in your colander
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Mix cold pasta and vegetables together
-
Add in and mix your chopped black olives, and chopped artichoke hearts
-
Add salad dressing (reserving some salad dressing) allow flavors to blend into salad
-
Store in refrigerator until needed, covered with saran wrap or other covering
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Mix and serve
Recipe Notes
Looking for more pasta salad ideas? You might like this chicken pasta salad recipe. The post has homemade pasta salad dressing recipes, perfect for this recipe.
Find post here: https://www.dearcreatives.com/italian-chicken-pasta-salad-recipe/
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- Need some homemade dressing recipes? Or are you looking for a pasta salad with chicken? Check out the bottom of this post; chicken pasta salad recipe
