Gluten Free Pasta Salad With Olives and Herbs
Pasta salads are usually not considered healthy despite the name, unless, of course, it is my gluten-free pasta salad with olives and herbs. I combine chickpea pasta, kalamata olives, and fresh basil in a creamy yogurt dressing with crunchy vegetables for a delicious, filling, and protein-packed meal. Best of all, I make it in just 20 minutes!
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 433kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cups chickpea rotini (or any legume-based pasta) (about 6oz)
- ⅓ cup organic mayo. I like either Sir Kensington's Organic Mayo or Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil mayo. The latter is more of an acquired taste so if you want a perfect substitution I'd go with Sir Kensington's!
- ⅓ cup low-fat plain yogurt
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp red-wine vinegar or lemon juice
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- ⅛ teaspoon salt more to taste
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes halved
- 1 cup diced yellow or red bell pepper (1 small)
- 1 cup grated carrots (2-4 carrots)
- ½ cup chopped scallions (4 scallions)
- ¼-½ cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
- 2 cups baby spinach chopped
- ⅓ cup slivered fresh basil
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes, or according to package directions. Drain and refresh under cold running water.
- Whisk mayonnaise, yogurt, oil, vinegar (or lemon juice), garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl until smooth.
- Add the pasta and toss to coat.
- Add spinach, tomatoes, bell pepper, carrots, scallions, olives and basil
- Toss to coat until all of the ingredients have combined. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
- Serve cold topped with some grated parmesan if you like!
Notes
- My #1 Secret Tip for this gluten-free pasta salad with olives and herbs recipe is to cook the pasta just shy of being fully tender. Chickpea and other gluten-free pastas continue to absorb moisture after draining, especially when mixed with dressing. I test my pasta early and drain it when the center still has a slight bite. This stops my pasta from turning into mush and helps it retain a fresh texture until the next day.
- Salt the water, and add a bit of olive oil: Just like any pasta, I make sure to salt my water for flavor, and add a few drops of olive oil to prevent the pasta from sticking to each other.
- Chill before serving: Chilling gives my pasta a chance to set and absorb the flavors in the dressing.
- Chop small: I keep my vegetables chopped as small and as uniformly as possible. This way, every spoonful had a good balance of ingredients.
Nutrition
Serving: 1.5cup | Calories: 433kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 330mg | Potassium: 272mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 10g