Took this pasta salad to a potluck this week and everyone asked for the recipe. Honestly, I was shocked it wasn’t already here on my site. I’ve made this vegan pasta salad so many times over the years I actually know the recipe by heart. It’s our “go to” for an easy lunch at the beach or to take on a picnic. I love that I can have all the veggies chopped and the simple Italian dressing ready before the pasta is even done boiling! 15 minutes start to finish…tops.
I’m not sure there’s another quick and easy vegan dish out there that I make this often….well, maybe my cold sesame noodles with tahini…but this pasta salad takes less time to make and gets the nod instead when I’m concerned about bringing a dish that works well for those with nut allergies.
Ingredient Notes
Veggies + Pasta
- Roughly chopped veggies
- Pasta cooked al dente
Vinaigrette
- Red wine vinegar is my top choice for the perfect tang.
- Grated garlic will mix in best. Substitute with garlic powder, but not garlic salt.
Step by Step
Bring a medium sized pot of water to a rolling boil and then cook pasta according to package directions. Al dente pasta is best in this recipe, so stir every couple minutes and keep testing it.
- While the pasta is cooking, roughly chop your veggies.
- Drain, rinse and drain the canned beans.
- Whisk together the dressing.
Drain pasta and place in a bowl with remaining ingredients.
Give the vinaigrette one last whisk.
Pour dressing onto bowl with pasta and vegetables.
Toss well. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper if desired. Personally, I love it as is, I think the garlic in the vinaigrette and the onions in the salad bring on the flavor!
Debra’s Pro Tips
- DO NOT overcook the pasta. My package said 9-11 minutes and I thought it had the perfect chew at 7.5 minutes.
- Chop the pepperoncini small. Same with the onions…a small dice will be easier to incorporate throughout and give flavor that isn’t overpowering.
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Pasta Salad with White Beans and Italian Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Pasta and Veggies
- 2.5 cups dry pasta about 4 cups cooked
- ¼ red onion ¼ cup small dice
- ¼ head red cabbage 2 cups roughly chopped
- 1 red bell pepper 1.5 cups diced
- 4 small persian cucumber 2 cups diced
- 5 pepperoncini ¼ cup small dice
- ¼ cup fresh parsley roughly chopped
- 1 15.5-oz. can cannellini beans rinsed and drained
Italian Vinaigrette
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Boil pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. My package said 9-11 minutes and I cooked it 7.5 minutes and though it was the perfect chewy consistency.
- Cut red onion and pepperoncini into small dice. Roughly chop cabbage and dice red pepper and cucumber. Chop the parsley leaves. Drain the beans then rinse well and drain again.
Vinaigrette
- Pour olive oil, vinegar, mustard, and italian seasoning into a small pitcher or pyres measuring cup. Grate the garlic right over the rest and then use a small whisk to mix until emulsified.
Mix it all together
- When pasta is al dente, drain and then add to medium sized bowl.
- Add all the chopped veggies and the beans to the bowl.
- Pour on the dressing and mix well.
Notes
Nutrition
Note
The nutrition calculations were done using online tools. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you used. You are ultimately responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information is accurate, complete and useful.
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