This quick and easy pasta salad is made without mayo and makes the perfect light dinner. It can be enjoyed all year round but tastes especially good on a hot summer day.
This no-mayo pasta salad can be enjoyed as a side dish (perfect for a backyard barbecue) or a light main dish.
For more salad recipes try Asparagus Green Salad, Watermelon Salad with Red Onion and Cucumber or Vegan Couscous Salad.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's lower in fat and includes a big variety of veggies.
- It comes together in no time!
- It's a vegetarian meal that can easily be made dairy-free, vegan and gluten-free.
Ingredients & Substitution Notes
- Pasta: For pasta salads I prefer using pasta with uneven surfaces like penne or fusilli. This makes them hold onto the dressing really nicely. If you want this recipe to be gluten-free, use gluten-free pasta. Use whole-wheat pasta for a more nutritious meal.
- Cherry Tomatoes: They usually taste a bit more intense than plum tomatoes and give the salad some extra texture.
- Cucumber: You could either peel it or give it a thorough wash and leave the skin on.
- Red Onion: Feel free to use white onion, green onion or omit all-together.
- Olives (Black & Green): Both regular black olives and the slightly bitter kalamata olives tastes great in this recipe. Buy pitted once to save more time!
- Parsley: Could be replaced by other fresh herbs such as fresh basil or cilantro.
- Feta cheese: Use vegan crumbled feta for a vegan pasta salad. If you don't like feta you could try crumbled goat cheese instead.
- Dressing: You'll need olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup (or any other sweetener of choice) and Dijon mustard.
How to Make Pasta Salad Without Mayo
This pasta salad recipe only requires a handful of simple ingredients and comes together in no time. There's also no special equipment needed.
STEP 1: Cook the pasta. Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions (I would recommend cooking it al dente).
Then drain and rinse the pasta with cold water. Set aside.
STEP 2: Make the dressing. Add olive oil, lemon juice maple syrup, Dijon mustard and salt to a small bowl or jar.
Whisk until well combined.
STEP 3: Toss together. Combine pasta, chopped cucumber, tomatoes, olives, red onion, parsley and feta in a large bowl.
Add the salad dressing and stir until well combined.
Optional Add-Ins
- Bell peppers: Yellow or red peppers taste amazing in this pasta salad.
- Beans: Such as white beans, kidney beans or black beans add some additional texture and fiber.
- Chickpeas: They add some additional protein and taste amazing in this salad.
- Artichoke: Artichoke hearts make a great add-in in pasta salads.
- Leafy greens: such as fresh arugula or baby spinach make a gread addition to this salad.
- Garlic powder: Add some garlic powder to the dressing for even more intense flavors.
Variations
- Vegan: Use vegan feta to keep this recipe vegan.
- Gluten-Free: Choose certified gluten-free pasta for a gluten-free pasta salad.
Top Tips
- Pitted olives: To save more time, buy pitted olives.
- Fresh lemon juice: Use fresh lemon juice for the dressing.
- Cool salad: For a cool, refreshing summer salad, put it in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving.
- Extra virgin olive oil: If you can, opt for high-quality olive oil!
Storage
Store in an airtight container with a lid in the fridge for up to 3 day
FAQs
Dressings that are made of olive oil, lemon juice or white wine vinegar taste amazing in pasta salads.
Making this salad ahead of time will allow the flavors to sink in even more. However, there's no need to prepare it the night before.
Yes, rinsing the pasta with cool water stops the cooking process and ensures that your pasta stays al dente.
More Salad Recipes to Try
📖 Recipe
Easy Pasta Salad (NO mayo)
Ingredients
- 2 cups fusilli/ penne pasta *or sub gluten-free pasta
- 2 handfuls of cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ cucumber, chopped
- handful of black olives, pitted
- handful of green olives, pitted
- ½ red onion, chopped
- ½ package of (vegan) feta
- handful of fresh parsley
Dressing
- 5 tablespoon olive oil
- juice of ½ a lemon
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Cook pasta according to package instructions (al dente!).
- Then drain and rinse the warm pasta with cold water. Set aside.
- Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a glass jar or a small bowl using a whisk.
- Toss together cooked pasta, cucumber, tomatoes, olives, red onion, crumbled feta and parsley in a big salad bowl.
- Add the dressing and stir until well combined.
- Taste and ajust seasoning.
Video
Tips & Notes
- Onion-Free: Feel free to use white onion, green onion or omit all-together.
- Vegan: Use vegan feta to keep this recipe vegan.
- Gluten-Free: Choose certified gluten-free pasta for a gluten-free pasta salad.
- Optional All-Ins: Bell peppers, beans, chickpeas, artichoke hearts, leafy greens
- You could also whisk together the dressing ingredients in the bottom of the salad bowl.
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