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Home » Lunch/Dinner Entree » Vegan Pesto Pasta Salad

Vegan Pesto Pasta Salad

Published: Apr 10, 2023 · Modified: Jun 3, 2023 by Gigi & Sersie

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This vegan pesto pasta salad makes the perfect summer side dish or lunch entrée. Made with gluten-free pasta and vegan almond pesto sauce, this fresh, hearty, and flavor-packed salad has a spicy kick. It's also gluten-free, soy-free, and oil-free.

top side view close up of vegan pesto pasta salad with tomatoes, olives, onions, fresh parsley in a round white serving bowl; two smaller individual bowls blurred in background
this salad is great for picnics and potlucks!

What you need to make this vegan pesto pasta salad

  1. Whole grain pasta (fusilli, penne, or shells)—use brown rice gluten-free pasta if gluten sensitive
  2. Vegan almond pesto sauce
  3. Lemon
  4. Cherry or grape tomatoes
  5. Red onion
  6. Sweet bell pepper (red, green, orange, or yellow)
  7. Pitted kalamata olives
  8. Pickled jalapenos (omit if you don't like a little kick!)
  9. Arugula or spinach (or both!)
  10. Fresh parsley
  11. Chickpeas, canned or cooked (optional)
  12. Easy vegan parmesan cheese (optional)
top view of the key ingredients: whole grain fusilli pasta, vegan almond pesto, cherry/grape tomatoes, arugula/spinach, red onion, pickled jalapenos, red bell pepper, pitted Kalamata olives, lemon, fresh parsley
key ingredients: whole grain fusilli pasta, vegan almond pesto, cherry/grape tomatoes, arugula/spinach, red onion, pickled jalapenos, red bell pepper, pitted Kalamata olives, lemon, fresh parsley

If you are not gluten-sensitive, this whole wheat pasta works wonderfully in this salad.

This pasta salad recipe does not use olive oil. Instead, we use the actual olives combined with lemon juice and water. Omitting oil helps to reduce the calorie density of this yummy side dish or lunch entree. If you're wondering about whether olive oil is right for you, check out this article Is Olive Oil Healthy?

How to make this pasta salad

Prepare pasta according to package directions. I used gluten-free brown rice spiral (fusilli) pasta, but whole wheat pasta works well if you don't have gluten sensitivity. When the pasta is done cooking, drain, rinse in cold water, and set aside.

If cherry or grape tomatoes are bigger than bite size, cut them in half.

Take cooked, drained, rinsed, and cooled pasta and put it into a large mixing bowl. Add vegan almond pesto sauce, and lemon juice to the pasta and stir carefully to combine. If you need to thin out the pesto sauce, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water.

Add cherry or grape tomatoes, chopped red onion, chopped sweet bell pepper, pitted kalamata olives, pickled jalapenos, lemon juice, and optional chickpeas (if using). Carefully stir so the pesto sauce coats the veggies.

top view of cherry tomatoes being sliced in half on a wooden cutting board
slice cherry or grape tomatoes if they are larger than bite size
top view of cooked and cooled pasta with pesto sauce on top and wooden spoon to stir sauce into pasta
add vegan almond pesto sauce to cooked and cooled pasta; carefully stir to combine
top view of olives, onions, peppers being carefully stirred into the pasta
add all other ingredients except for arugula/spinach and chopped parsley and carefully stir to combine

To serve, add pasta to a bed of arugula or spinach and top with fresh chopped parsley. If you like a cheesy flavor, sprinkle some easy vegan parmesan cheese on top. Salt and pepper to taste.

top view close up of vegan pesto pasta salad with tomatoes, olives, onions, red bell pepper and parsley in white serving bowl
serve this yummy pasta salad chilled or at room temperature

Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Freezing is not recommended.

We hope you love this vegan pesto pasta salad as much as we do. Please rate and leave a comment below. Be sure to share a picture on Instagram and tag us @danielsplaterecipes so we can see your creation!

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top view close up of vegan pesto pasta salad with tomatoes, red bell pepper, onion, fresh chopped parsley in white bowl

Vegan Pesto Pasta Salad


★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

  • Author: Gigi & Sersie
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 8 1x
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

This vegan pesto pasta salad makes the perfect summer side dish or lunch entrée. Made with gluten-free pasta and vegan almond pesto sauce, this fresh, hearty, and flavor-packed salad has a spicy kick. It's also gluten-free, soy-free, and oil-free. 


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 10 oz. whole grain fusilli or penne pasta—I used brown rice for GF
  • 1 batch vegan almond pesto
  • 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
  • ½ cup sliced red onion
  • ¾ cup diced sweet red bell pepper
  • ⅓ cup pitted Kalamata olives
  • ¼ to ⅓ cup pickled jalapenos, chopped
  • 1 ½ Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 ½ cups arugula or spinach
  • 2 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Optional add-ons

  • 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas (or one 15 ounce can drained and rinsed)
  • 1 Tbsp easy vegan parmesan cheese

Instructions

Prepare pasta according to package directions. I used gluten-free brown rice spiral (fusilli) pasta, but whole wheat pasta works well if you don't have gluten sensitivity. When the pasta is done cooking, drain, rinse in cold water, and set aside.

If cherry or grape tomatoes are bigger than bite size, cut them in half.

Take cooked, drained, rinsed, and cooled pasta and put it into a large mixing bowl. Add vegan almond pesto sauce, and lemon juice to the pasta and stir carefully to combine. If you need to thin out the pesto sauce, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water.

Add cherry or grape tomatoes, chopped red onion, chopped sweet bell pepper, pitted kalamata olives, pickled jalapenos, lemon juice, and optional chickpeas (if using). Carefully stir so the pesto sauce coats the veggies.

To serve, add pasta to a bed of arugula or spinach and top with fresh chopped parsley. If you like a cheesy flavor, sprinkle some easy vegan parmesan cheese on top. Salt and pepper to taste.

Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Freezing is not recommended.

Notes

EQUIPMENT / SUPPLIES

  1. Medium pot
  2. Measuring cup
  3. Measuring spoons
  4. Strainer
  5. Knife
  6. Cutting board
  7. Large mixing bowl
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Category: Sides
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: pasta salad, picnics, side dish, healthy vegan recipes, pesto sauce, spicy, whole food plant based, daniel fast recipes, daniel fast compliant, gluten free, oil free, soy free, cold salad, pesto pasta salad

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us @danielsplaterecipes — we can't wait to see what you've made!

Join the Meal Prep Cooking Class with Sersie & Gigi

Let’s face it, staying consistent with your health goals starts in the kitchen. This meal prep cooking class will help you develop a routine of eating healthy foods so you can be successful long-term. You don’t have to be an expert chef or even love to cook; you just need the desire to eat healthy. It’s that simple!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Liz P

    April 12, 2023 at 12:47 pm

    Fantastic! The pickled jalapenos are a gamechanger. I did add the chickpeas since it was a main meal. This has a lot of flavor and we didn't feel bloated and weighed down after. Thank you for this.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Gigi & Sersie

      April 13, 2023 at 10:49 am

      Nice! We're so glad you enjoyed this.

      Reply

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