Gluten Free Pasta Salad Recipe
Try this easy gluten free pasta salad for lunch today. This gf pasta salad offers the freshest taste with a homemade dressing and fresh veggies.
Servings: 8 servings as a side
Equipment
- Blender for making the dressing
Ingredients
For the green goddess dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise at room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream at room temperature
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
- 1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (or basil but I much prefer parsley)
- 2 teaspoons gluten free fish sauce or Worcestershire sauce (or anchovy paste)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons chopped scallions (optional)
- Milk or buttermilk by the half-teaspoonful if necessary
For the pasta salad
- 1 pound dried gluten free short pasta (Rummo brand gluten free fusilli works well)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 sweet bell peppers seeded and roughly chopped
- 1 large English cucumber peeled and roughly chopped
- ¾ cup chopped green onions (white and green parts)
- 1 recipe green goddess dressing see above
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella pearls packed in water (if you only have larger balls, slice them in half or in quarters), drained
- 2 cups grape tomatoes
- 2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese grated, plus more for serving
- ¼ cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley for serving
Instructions
Make the dressing.
- Place the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, parsley, fish sauce or Worcestershire, salt, pepper and (optional) scallions in a blender.
- Blend until very smooth. If necessary to keep the blender moving, add milk or buttermilk by the half-teaspoonful.
- Transfer the prepared dressing to a glass container with a tight-fitting lid, and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. If your sour cream is fresh, your dressing should keep for at least 2 weeks.
- The dressing will thicken in the refrigerator, and become thinner again when brought to room temperature.
Make the pasta.
- Cook the pasta to al dente texture, then drain the pasta water. Rinse the drained pasta with lukewarm water, drain it again, and toss it with the olive oil and salt. Cover the cooked pasta, and set it aside.
Assemble the pasta salad.
- In a large mixing bowl, place the peppers, cucumber, and green onions, and mix to combine well.
- Add the dressing, and mix well.
- Add the mozzarella pearls, tomatoes, and Parmigiano-Reggiano, then the cooked pasta, and turn over gently to fully combine.
- Cover the bowl, and allow the pasta salad to sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving.
- Before serving, add chopped flat leaf parsley, and serve at room temperature, with extra parsley and shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, to taste.
Nutrition
Calories: 591kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 772mg | Potassium: 385mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2914IU | Vitamin C: 81mg | Calcium: 253mg | Iron: 2mg