• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Know Your Produce
  • Home
  • About
    • Resources
    • Privacy
    • Disclosure
    • Nutrition Disclaimer
    • Work With Us
    • Contact
  • Recipes
    • Vegan Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast Recipes
    • Snacks
    • Main Dish Recipes
    • Side Dish Recipes
    • Dessert Recipes
    • Drinks
  • How To
  • Gardening
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • How To
  • Gardening
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
  • ×
    You are here: Home / Recipes

    Vegan Pasta Salad

    BY: Courtney PUBLISHED: Dec 19, 2019 6 Comments UPDATED ON: Jul 16, 2020

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    JUMP TO RECIPE

    Vegan Pasta Salad makes for the perfect potluck side dish, filled with olives, peppers, red onion, roasted red peppers, grape tomatoes, and our homemade Italian dressing recipe.

    vegan pasta salad with fresh vegetables and olives in a white bowl with beige napkin to the left

    Salads are great for parties and entertaining. We always make a big batch cucumber salad, pasta salad, macaroni salad, or even coleslaw to bring to a party. Cold salads are easy to prep ahead and bring the next day. 

    VEGAN ITALIAN PASTA SALAD 

    Both kids and adults will love it! It’s colorful and flavorful. Kids tend to pick out meat and cheese. This recipe is naturally vegan and can also be made gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta. You could serve your favorite plant-based meat and cheese on the side for guests to add in if they’d like or even add in if you prefer. 

    chopped vegetables olives whole petite cherry tomatoes over pasta in a large glass bowl with spoon to the right

    INGREDIENTS FOR VEGAN PASTA SALAD

    • Rotini Pasta – To get a healthy mix of whole grains in we use whole wheat pasta in addition to the traditional tri-color pasta. 
    • Roasted Red Peppers – We make our homemade roasted red peppers, they’re fresh and flavorful! 
    • Green Bell Pepper – Peppers add a bit of crunch and color. You could also use other bell pepper colors.
    • Red Onions – These onions not only add a pop of purple, but they also give a strong sharp flavor that pairs well with salads.
    • Tomatoes – Grape tomatoes or Sprinkles Tomatoes are best. We halve grape tomatoes, sprinkles are smaller, but if choking is a risk for you we recommend slicing them as well.
    • Black Olives – These add a salty flavor and can be a bit strong in flavor from the brine. We always drain them and give them a rinse as well.
    • Italian Dressing – You could use your favorite store-bought dressing, but we highly recommend trying our homemade Italian dressing recipe if you have time!

    HOW TO MAKE PASTA SALAD

    Cook the pasta according to the package directions, once cooked strain the pasta and rinse with cool water and pour the pasta into a large bowl.

    Make the Italian dressing by pouring the oil, vinegar, water, basil, oregano, parsley, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes in a mason jar. Cover the jar with a lid and then shake until the dressing is combined. 

    To the pasta add the sliced onions, sliced olives, chopped green peppers, roasted red peppers, and tomatoes. Pour over the homemade dressing and then toss to combine.

    Cover the pasta and place it in the refrigerator until ready to serve. 

    WHAT IS THE BEST PASTA FOR PASTA SALAD?

    For a pasta salad like this, we go with rotini pasta. We use a combination of tri-color pasta and whole wheat pasta. When it’s a macaroni salad or a chickpea tuna macaroni we go with elbow noodles.

    italian pasta salad with fresh vegetables and olives in a white bowl with beige napkin to the left

    CAN YOU MAKE PASTA SALAD THE NIGHT BEFORE? 

    Absolutely, and we encourage you to make it in advance. We serve this as a cold pasta salad and with the homemade Italian dressing you want to let the flavors meld in the refrigerator for a few hours, even overnight. 

    CAN I ADD OTHER VEGGIES?

    Absolutely! Some good ones to add would be broccoli, artichokes, zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach leaves, eggplant, and even Brussels sprouts.

    vegan pasta salad with fresh vegetables and olives in a white bowl with beige napkin to the left

    HOW LONG CAN YOU KEEP PASTA SALAD?

    We usually finished it up in 2-3 days. It tastes even better the next day after making it.

    vegan tuna pasta salad in a white low bowl with spoon and pink cloth

    MORE PASTA SALAD RECIPES:

    • Mexican Pasta Salad
    • Vegan Tuna Pasta Salad
    • Caprese Pasta Salad – use Miyoko’s Mozzarella to make vegan

    RECIPE NOTES:

    • You can use a storebought dressing or be sure to try our homemade Italian Dressing.
    • You can make this in advance, pasta salad always tastes even better the next day after the flavors meld together.
    • We used wide mouth mason jars with reusable plastic lids. 
    vegan pasta salad with fresh vegetables and olives in a white bowl with beige napkin to the left

    Vegan Pasta Salad

    Author: Courtney
    Vegan Pasta Salad makes for the perfect potluck side dish, filled with olives, peppers, red onion, roasted red peppers, grape tomatoes, and homemade Italian dressing.
    5 from 7 votes

    (click stars to vote)

    Print Pin
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Servings: 15
    Calories: 206kcal
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: Italian
    Keyword: italian pasta salad, vegan pasta salad
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 1 1lb Rotini Whole Wheat Pasta
    • 1 1lb Rotini Tri Color Pasta
    • 5 Roasted Red Peppers
    • 2 Green Bell Peppers chopped
    • 1/2 cup Red Onions chopped
    • 1 cup Tomatoes grape, sprinkles, or cherry, chopped if too big
    • 6 oz Canned Black Olives drained, rinsed, sliced
    • 2 cups Italian Dressing

    Instructions

    • Cook the pasta according to the package directions, once cooked strain the pasta and rinse with cool water and pour the pasta into a large bowl.
    • Make the Italian dressing by pouring the oil, vinegar, water, basil, oregano, parsley, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes in a mason jar. Cover the jar with a lid and then shake until the dressing is combined.
    • To the pasta add the sliced onions, sliced olives, chopped green peppers, roasted red peppers, and tomatoes. Pour over the homemade dressing and then toss to combine.
    • Cover the pasta and place it in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

    Video

    Notes

    • You can use storebought dressing or be sure to try our homemade Italian Dressing.
    • You can make this in advance, pasta salad always tastes even better the next day after the flavors meld together.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Vegan Pasta Salad
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    206
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    9
    g
    14
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    6
    %
    Sodium
     
    660
    mg
    29
    %
    Potassium
     
    173
    mg
    5
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    29
    g
    10
    %
    Fiber
     
    1
    g
    4
    %
    Sugar
     
    4
    g
    4
    %
    Protein
     
    5
    g
    10
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    261
    IU
    5
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    20
    mg
    24
    %
    Calcium
     
    31
    mg
    3
    %
    Iron
     
    1
    mg
    6
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    full nutrition disclaimer

    The nutritional information is automatically calculated and can vary based ingredients and products used. If the nutrition numbers are important for you we recommend calculating them yourself.

    Did you make this recipe?Tag us on social media using @knowyourproduce and or use #knowyourproduce!

    you may also like:

    • Vegan Tuna Pasta SaladVegan Tuna Pasta Salad
    • Stuffed PeppersStuffed Peppers
    • Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato SoupRoasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup
    • Cucumber Tomato Salad with Homemade Italian DressingCucumber Tomato Salad with Homemade Italian Dressing

    More Recipes

    • Jewish Apple Cake sliced on a white cake plate.
      Jewish Apple Cake
    • peach milk in a glass.
      Peach Milk
    • stuffed peppers.
      Stuffed Peppers
    • peach muffins
      Peach Muffins

    POSTED IN: Recipes Salads Side Dish Recipes bell peppers olives onion onions pasta red onion tomatoes

    About Courtney

    Fruit and Veggie lover. I love making produce fun and delicious, not to mention taking tons of pictures in the process! :-)

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Angela

      April 24, 2023 at 1:11 pm

      I’m so excited to make this. I am making it for 80 people for a baby shower. I will keep you posted
      Thank you ❤️

      Reply
      • Courtney

        June 08, 2023 at 9:47 am

        We hope it was a hit! 😀

        Reply
    2. Erica

      May 25, 2023 at 7:43 am

      What size boxes of pasta? You didn’t mention

      Reply
      • Courtney

        June 08, 2023 at 9:48 am

        A standard pound of pasta 🙂

        Reply
    3. Christy

      May 29, 2023 at 2:29 pm

      I added follow your heart feta crumbles. Delicious!!!!

      Reply
      • Courtney

        June 08, 2023 at 9:49 am

        So good! LOVE FYH!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    fall family photo, mother, son, daughter, father.

    Welcome to know your produce.

    Hey there! We're sharing our love for fruits and veggies and making sure that they are in each and every meal.

    More about us →

    sign up for recipes and tips




    Popular Recipes

    • close up of sliced and stacked chocolate zucchini bread on a wooden cutting board with parchment paper on it.
      Chocolate Zucchini Bread
    • peach fritters on a cooling rack.
      Air Fryer Peach Fritters
    • apple bread on a piece of parchment paper on a wooden cutting board.
      Apple Bread
    • close up of cranberry orange shortbread cookies stacked
      Cranberry Shortbread Cookies

    More From The Blog >

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Cookie Policy
    • Disclosure
    • Privacy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Work With Us

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Know Your Produce