Vegan Pasta Salad

This is the BEST vegan pasta salad for summer picnics and barbecues! It’s super easy, flavorful, and the perfect BBQ side dish! I've had people I serve this to tell me it's their favorite pasta salad ever. Not to toot my own horn, but it's a winner!

If you know me, you know I'm not a big fan of salads. They don't excite me! But throw in lots of roasted vegetables and pasta and I'm converted into a salad lover!

This pasta salad is abundant with colorful fresh veggies, flavorful balsamic vinaigrette with roasted garlic, and pasta. It's vegan too, but it's chockful of flavor that it's incredibly satisfying! It's the perfect side dish for any BBQ!

Ingredients

A good pasta salad for me is loaded with vegetables! Anything goes, but I love a variety and I want it to be colorful. Here are the vegetables I used in this vegan pasta salad:

• Zucchini
• Asparagus
• Bell peppers
• Onion
• Mushrooms

Since I don't own a grill, I roast my veggies in the oven. I can let the oven do its work without me standing in front of a pan stirring! Roasting also intensifies the flavors, which means I don't need to add a lot of seasonings because they'll be delicious as is.

I also think it's important to have a variety of textures! I like to add finely chopped onions for a little crunch, but you could also add some toasted sunflower seeds.

What's the best pasta for pasta salad?

When making pasta salad, choose a short-cut pasta with lots of nooks and crannies to hold the dressing. My favorite pasta shape for pasta salad has to be fusilli or rotini!

Also, cook the pasta a minute or two past al dente. Pasta gets hard as it cools, so giving it extra cooking time keeps it moist. Just don't overcook and let it get mushy!

Roasted garlic vinaigrette

Roasted garlic is the key ingredient that makes this the best vegan pasta salad recipe! Raw garlic can be sharp and spicy, but when you roast it, it caramelizes and turns nutty. It also turns soft and mushy, making it easy to incorporate it into the balsamic vinaigrette!

How to Make Vegan Pasta Salad

This veggie pasta salad is SUPER easy to make. Are you ready?

The first step is to roast the garlic. Cut the entire head of garlic in half, drizzle some olive oil on the cloves and sprinkle some salt. Put the garlic halves back together, wrap it up with aluminum foil and bake it in the preheated oven.

Once it's done, take the garlic out of the oven and begin roasting the chopped veggies. While the veggies are roasting, bring a large pot of water to a boil, and cook the pasta. Don't forget to cook it a minute or two longer than the package suggests!

While you're waiting for the pasta to cook, make the vinaigrette. Put the roasted garlic cloves into a large bowl along with balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and whisk until combined. Add the cooked and drained pasta along with the chopped onion, olives, and roasted veggies and toss. Add black pepper to taste, and let it cool slightly before adding the baby greens.

It takes a little long to make this healthy pasta salad since we're roasting the garlic, but the oven's doing most of the work so it's super easy!

Frequently Asked Questions

More Easy Recipes

• If you love easy vegan pasta dishes, try my green mac n cheese or red curry mac n cheese. Both sauces come together in a blender!
• The dough for these chocolate chip chickpea cookies also comes together in a blender, and no one will know they were made with chickpeas.
• If you love a cheesy baked pasta dish, this macaroni gratin is right up your alley.
• My peach cobbler with canned peaches is super easy to make yet a major crowd-pleaser!
• You can't go wrong with gluten-free brownies at any gathering! Everyone will love them!
• Need more dessert ideas? Check out my list of gluten free dairy free desserts - many are vegan too!