Description
Super light and refreshing quick and easy creamy vegan pasta salad that’s perfect for a delicious summer side dish! With a zesty lemon tahini dressing and minimal gluten free ingredients, this Mediterranean pasta salad is perfect for all eaters and any summer party!
Ingredients
Scale
Simple Pasta Salad:
- 1/2 lb (2 cups) uncooked pasta (I like Jovial Foods Penne or Bow Tie pasta!)
- 6 medium compari tomatoes
- 3 small Persian cucumbers
- 1/2 cup sliced kalamata olives
- 1/2 cup chickpeas, save the aquafaba for a vegan dessert recipe! See notes!
- Fresh basil and vegan parmesan to garnish
Garlic Tahini Dressing:
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1/2 large lemon
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 3 tbsp water, divided
Instructions
- First, cook the pasta: add water to a medium pot and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the water to medium-heat and add in the pasta. Cook according to the directions on the box or until the pasta is just past al dente. Drain the pasta over a colander, and rinse quickly in cold water. Pour the pasta into a large bowl, and set aside so that the pasta can cool to room temperature (toss the pasta in 1 tsp olive oil if using a bean pasta, such as chickpea pasta, to prevent sticking).
- Prepare the pasta salad ingredients: slice the compari tomatoes, cucumbers, kalamata olives (if you haven’t purchased them slice), and rinse the chickpeas (save the aquafaba for a vegan dessert recipe, like this vegan chiffon cake!).
- Toss the pasta salad: to the large bowl containing the pasta, add in the tomatoes, cucumbers, and olives, and gently toss all together. Set aside.
- Prepare the dressing: in a small bowl, whisk the tahini together with the lemon, garlic powder, and sea salt to start. Then add in 1 tbsp of water at a time until you reach a creamy and runny consistency, like a traditional dressing.
- Dress the pasta salad: drizzle the dressing over the pasta salad and toss to evenly coat. Top with grated vegan parmesan and fresh basil. Serve and enjoy!
- Storing leftovers: store any leftover pasta salad in an airtight large Tupperware or glass container and in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Notes
Gluten Free: use your favorite gluten free pasta for this easy pasta salad.
Vegan cheese options: I recommend using Forager Project parmesan or for nut free, use Violife’s vegan parmesan or vegan feta here.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving, no vegan cheese
- Calories: 149
- Sugar: 1.9 g
- Sodium: 146.1 mg
- Fat: 4.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 23.1 g
- Fiber: 2.2 g
- Protein: 5.1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg