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Italian Pasta Salad
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5 from 2 votes

Italian Pasta Salad

Italian pasta salad is one of my favorite cold pasta salads. Loaded with various fresh vegetables, roasted asparagus, and white beans, this pasta salad checks all the boxes in one delicious bowl. Dressed in a creamy, oil-free Italian dressing, this pasta salad will be your new favorite salad to serve this spring and summer.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Vegan
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 366kcal
Author: Kathy Carmichael

Ingredients

Pasta Salad

  • 8 ounces Pasta of Choice choose shape and type
  • 1 Watermelon Radish sliced and then quartered)
  • 1 Summer Squash Yellow, sliced and cut in halves
  • 1 Zucchini sliced and cut in halves
  • 1 cup Grape Tomatoes cut in half
  • 1 cup Artichoke Hearts chopped (about ½ a can; be sure to use artichokes in water, not oil)
  • 1 15 ounces can of White Beans I used Cannellini, drained and rinsed
  • ¼ cup Capers
  • ¼ cup Kalamata Olives chopped
  • ¼ cup Parsley chopped
  • ¼ cup Basil chopped
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper diced
  • ½ Red Onion chopped (or ½ cup)
  • 1 cup Purple Cabbage chopped
  • 8 Spears Asparagus cut into bite-sized pieces and roasted

Creamy Italian Dressing or Italian Dressing

Garnish (optional)

Instructions

Roast the Asparagus

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat
  • Wash and then cut asparagus into bite-sized pieces
  • Lay asparagus on the baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool before adding to the salad.
  • Choose creamy or regular oil-free Italian dressing.
  • Prepare 1 recipe of creamy Italian dressing (choose cashew option or white beans for a nut-free version.
  • Or, prepare Oil-free Italian Dressing without nuts or beans.

Preparing the Italian Pasta Salad

  • Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Make sure to cook al dente, and choose the al dente cooking instructions.
  • Rinse pasta in cold water immediately after draining and toss in cold water in a colander until all the pasta is cooled.
  • Transfer the cooled pasta into a large bowl.
  • Add the cut raw vegetables, roasted asparagus, beans, and herbs.
  • Now, add half the dressing, and toss.
  • Reserve the other half of the dressing until ready to serve.
  • Toss in the remaining dressing when the pasta salad is ready to serve.
  • Add Vegan Parmesan as a garnish (optional)
  • Another great option is tofu feta cheese.

Notes

Nutrition facts are with regular (not creamy) Italian dressing.

Nutrition

Calories: 366kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Sodium: 936mg | Potassium: 904mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1594IU | Vitamin C: 59mg | Calcium: 113mg | Iron: 4mg