As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Pasta salad has a special place in our hearts. It not only evokes memories of simple and delicious childhood family lunches or sunny summer picnics, but it’s also a universal favorite dish to share with others. Who hasn’t prepped a quick pasta salad the day before a family barbecue or a fun get together for friends? This recipe is fresh and perfect for a fantastic al fresco lunch.

Don’t Throw Away Your Veggies!

We all get to the point when we have some sad looking vegetables just waiting to be discarded. And we are always encouraging you to find ways to make use of them in soups or stews, but this pasta salad would be a perfect choice too.

For this recipe, you’ll need pasta (any short shape you prefer is fine), cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onion, green bell pepper, parsley, black olives, garbanzo beans, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. You could easily use up any about-to-go-bad cucumbers, peppers, parsley, or onion. A great tip we can share with you is to place your limp veggies (like carrots, cucumbers, zucchini, herbs, or others) in a bowl with water and ice. If you leave them there for a few minutes, they will get crispier and fresher. Give it a try!

As always, we recommend using up all your produce before buying more. Get ready to get very creative!

A blue bowl with a large helping of perfect veggie pasta salad.

Better Overnight

Some dishes get better with time. This perfect pasta salad is one of them. If you have the chance to prepare this salad the night before and leave it inside your refrigerator overnight, please do! It allows for the flavors and juices to combine even better and takes the flavor to a whole new level. You could do this with or without the dressing depending on how you like the texture. Enjoy!

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”oiSly92N” upload-date=”2021-06-24T15:35:31.000Z” name=”THE PERFECT PASTA SALAD.mp4″ description=”Pasta salad has a special place in our hearts. It not only evokes memories of simple and delicious childhood family lunches or sunny summer picnics, but it’s also a universal favorite dish to share with others. Who hasn’t prepped a quick pasta salad the day before a family barbecue or a fun get together for friends? This recipe is fresh and perfect for a fantastic al fresco lunch.” player-type=”default” override-embed=”default”]

Recommended equipment:

Photos by Alfonso Revilla

finished pasta salad in white tray and blue bowl against a white background

The Perfect Pasta Salad

5 from 45 votes
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
This might be the easiest but most delcious pasta salad recipe ever! The perfect dish for your next picnic or lunch al fresco!

Ingredients 

  • 16 ounces of pasta
  • 1 cup of sliced and halved cucumbers
  • 1 cup of halved cherry tomatoes
  • 3/4 cup of diced red onion
  • 1/2 cup of diced green bell pepper
  • 3 Tablespoons of minced curly parsley
  • 2.25 ounces of sliced black olives, drained
  • 15 ounces of garbanzo beans
  • 2 Tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1/8-1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice
  • Salt, to taste
  • Pepper, to taste

Instructions 

  • In a medium pot over medium-high heat, cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
  • While the pasta cooks, combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and mix them together.
  • Add the cooked pasta and thoroughly combine. Allow to cool in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Video

Notes

If you have the chance to prepare this salad the night before and leave it inside your refrigerator overnight, please do! It allows for the flavors and juices to combine even better and takes the flavor to a whole new level. You could do this with or without the dressing depending on how you like the texture. 

Nutrition

Calories: 638kcalCarbohydrates: 108gProtein: 21gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gSodium: 561mgPotassium: 658mgFiber: 11gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 1123IUVitamin C: 44mgCalcium: 95mgIron: 4mg

Disclaimer: Although plantbasedonabudget.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Plantbasedonabudget.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.

Additional Info

Author: Toni Okamoto
Course: Side
Cuisine: American
Method: Stovetop
Diet: Vegan
Keywords: cold pasta salad, pasta salad, vegan pasta, vegan pasta salad, veggie pasta salad
Tried this recipe?Please tag us at @PlantBasedOnABudget! 🙂
About

Toni Okamoto

“They say you are what you eat, so I strive to be healthy.
My goal in life is not to be rich or wealthy,
‘Cause true wealth comes from good health and wise ways…
we got to start taking better care of ourselves ” – Dead Prez

More about Toni Okamoto

Leave a comment

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

Recipe Rating




Comments