Classic Gluten Free Pasta Salad | Creamy Homemade Dressing

5 from 2 votes

Prep Time : 15

Cook Time : 13

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.

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This easy gluten free pasta salad is served with cold, fresh, chopped vegetables, al dente gluten free fusilli, fresh mozzarella cheese, and the freshest, brightest homemade salad dressing. Serve it as a side at your next bbq, or top it with some chicken or fish for a complete meal!

Closeup of fusilli, tomatoes, shaved white cheese, cucumber slices with creamy dressing in white bowl with metal fork

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The best gluten free pasta salad recipe

This is a classic recipe for gluten free pasta salad, with super fresh vegetables and a bright homemade creamy dressing that you can blend up days or even a week before. It serves at least 8 people as a side, just the way it is, but can be scaled up or down to serve a crowd. Perfect for potlucks!

This recipe is also really adaptable, since you can customize your vegetables, salad dressing, and/or your pasta shape. Think of this recipe as a guide for the proper proportions of vegetables to cooked pasta to dressing and cheese.

For example, I like to use chopped sweet bell peppers, English cucumber, green onions, and tomatoes, but you can swap one or more of those out for chopped seeded jalapeño peppers, celery, grated carrots, and/or sugar snap pea pods. You're limited only by your imagination!

If you've never made your own salad dressing, you're in for a treat when you see just how easy it is to make your own fresh and flavorful green goddess dressing from mayo, sour cream, lemon juice, and lots of fresh herbs. You can also keep it simple with a classic creamy vinaigrette with 3 parts extra virgin olive oil and 1 part vinegar and/or freshly-squeezed lemon juice.

Bowls of chopped red and orange sweet pepper, cherry tomatoes, chopped scallions, parsley, and white small pearls of cheese on gray surface

What you need to make GF pasta salad

Especially since this recipe is so adaptable, let's talk about why I like to use each of the ingredients below. That way, if you want to swap some out, you'll know just what you're looking to replace.

Green goddess salad dressing – Green goddess dressing is a creamy mayonnaise-sour cream mixture that's blended with tons of fresh parsley or basil. I really prefer parsley since it complements the other flavors without overpowering them, like basil tends to do. Make it up to 2 weeks ahead of your sour cream is really fresh.
Gluten free pasta – Packaged, boiled gluten free pasta tends to harden once it's chilled, but there is one pasta brand that rises above all others: Rummo brand gluten free (affiliate link). I like their fusilli shape, since it holds the dressing really well, and doesn't get mushy or hard as it sits.
Grape tomatoes – I avoid slicing grape tomatoes in half since, once they're cut, they begin to wilt and lose their crisp freshness as the salad marinates. You can use chopped larger tomatoes if that's all you have, but add them right before serving.
Sweet bell peppers – A rainbow of sweet bell peppers add lots of bright, sweet, crunchy flavor. I try to avoid green peppers, though, since they're less sweet and tend to be harder to digest.
English cucumber – Using English cucumber, the kind without seeds, is what allows us to add lots of crunch, without adding all the moisture of a regular cucumber and its wet seeds. I prefer to peel the cucumber before chopping it, but the skin is quite thin and edible if you prefer to leave it on.
Chopped green onions – Also known as scallions, these are really mild onions that add a bit of bite to your salad.
Mozzarella pearls – Packed in water, these tiny little bite-sized balls of fresh mozzarella cheese add a rich creamy little bite that mixes effortlessly throughout the whole pasta salad. If you only have larger balls or a block of mozzarella, just cut it into small bite-sized pieces before adding it to the salad.
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese – Just a couple ounces of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese add so much rich depth of flavor to this pasta salad. Grate a little more and allow your guests to sprinkle their serving with more cheese on top.
Parsley – The green goddess dressing already has lots of fresh parsley blended into it, but I still like to add a bit extra on top for the bright color and textured flavor. I always prefer flat-leaf parsley to curly leaf, since it's much more flavorful.

cooked fusilli pasta in blue serving bowl on gray surface

Preparing gluten free pasta for a cold pasta salad

Choosing your gluten free pasta

The best gluten free pasta for pasta salad is one that cooks to an al dente texture evenly, and is made of more than just rice, which has a lot of resistant starch, so it gets very hard when cold. Rummo brand gluten free pasta is made of rice, corn, and potato starch, and resists getting hard even when it's been stored in the refrigerator.

Cooking gluten free pasta

Gluten free pasta is best cooked by bringing the pasta water to a rolling boil, adding the dried pasta and stirring it until it begins to float, so the pasta doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. Then, let it boil, stirring very occasionally, until cooked according to the time indicated on the package.

Then, drain the pasta water completely, and rinse the pasta with lukewarm water to rid it of residual starch clinging to the pasta. Drain that water, and toss the pasta with a bit of extra virgin olive oil to help keep it from clumping. Cover the pasta tightly with a lid or plastic wrap, and let it sit at room temperature until you're ready to use it.

How to prevent mushy gluten free pasta salad

There are a few ways to avoid making your pasta salad mushy:

Cook the pasta to “al dente” texture, as defined by the package instructions (overcooked pasta tends to fall apart and become mushy)
Choose a pasta shape that has ridges and folds to hold the dressing, like fusilli
If you're concerned that you've cooked the pasta too much, add only about 3/4 of the dressing to the salad before letting it marinate, and the rest right before serving

Tips for making a delicious gluten free pasta salad

Don't overcook your gluten free pasta

Overcooked or overhandled gf pasta tends to fall apart, so make sure you're cooking your pasta to an al dente texture. If you're not sure whether or not your pasta is cooked through, bit a piece in half. If you can see dry pasta in the other half, it's not done.

Cut your veggies into bite-sized pieces

No one wants to have to cut their pasta salad with a fork and knife! Plus, you want every bite of this amazingly flavorful pasta salad to have almost every element in it.

Let your pasta salad sit for more flavor

Let your salad marinate in the dressing for at least an hour at room temperature, covered, before serving it so the pasta soaks up all that flavor. Taste your salad right before you serve it, and add an extra pinch of salt if it tastes at all flat.

Toss the gf pasta salad before serving

After your dressed salad has marinated for about an hour, or a bit less, use two large forks/spoons or salad tines to toss the mixture gently once more. You'll redistribute the dressing that's fallen to bottom of the bowl and make sure every bite has tons of flavor.

Make some extra dressing for later

This salad calls for a big batch of green goddess dressing, but that doesn't mean that you won't want a bit more on the side. Or try marinating some chicken in extra dressing, then grilling it and serving it on top for a fresh, bright, and satisfying meal.

Fusilli tomatoes scallions and green goddess dressing in metal bowl with black serving spoons

How to store leftover gluten free Italian pasta salad

The best way to preserve the texture of pasta salad is to store it at room temperature, but refrigeration is necessary to keep the dairy in the dressing and from the cheese from spoiling. Avoid combining all of the elements of your pasta salad until about an hour before you plan to serve the salad, so you don't have to refrigerate it.

If you have leftover pasta salad, you'll have to place it in the refrigerator for longer storage. When you're ready to enjoy the leftovers, let it sit out on the counter for a while to let the dressing come to room temperature. If the pasta feels hard at all, try warming it very slightly in the microwave for about 1 minute at very, very low (30%) power.

How to keep gluten free pasta from getting hard

Gluten free pasta that's made mostly of rice does tend to get hard when it's cold, much like rice does. Try using a pasta that's made with a combination of grains, like Rummo or one of the other gluten free brands of dried pasta we've spoken about. And keep it at room temperature as much as possible.

Gluten free pasta salad: substitutions

Dairy free, gluten free pasta salad

There's dairy in the cheeses added to this pasta salad, and the sour cream in the green goddess dressing. You can replace the cheeses with dairy free cheese (Violife brand is really good), and use dairy free sour cream or nondairy Greek-style yogurt instead of sour cream.

You can also leave out the cheeses entirely, and replace them with a sprinkling of nutritional yeast for a “cheesy” flavor and add cooked cooked protein for more flavor and heartiness. Instead of green goddess dressing, try a simple vinaigrette dressing in its place (a basic vinaigrette is made with a 3 to 1 oil to acid ratio).

Customizing your gluten free pasta salad

Think of the elements of this pasta salad as falling into 4 categories: chopped fresh vegetables, gluten free pasta, cheese, and dressing. As long as you keep them in the same proportions indicated here, you can replace almost anything with something else in the same category (except for the pasta, since this is pasta salad!):

Replace the bell peppers, tomatoes, green onions, cucumber, and tomatoes with carrots, celery, jalapeño peppers, jicama, baby corn, sugar snap peas, red onion, and/or even raw broccoli or cauliflower florets. Just make sure everything is bite-sized!
Replace the green goddess dressing with ranch dressing, a simple vinaigrette, or caesar salad dressing (find recipes for all these gf salad dressings here on the blog).
Replace the mozzarella cheese pearls and/or Parm with a cubed semi-hard cheese like Monterey jack, white cheddar, or something harder, like Machego.
Top your pasta salad with sliced grilled chicken or steak, or gf coconut shrimp for a hearty, satisfying meal

flat white bowl with light green colored dressing on cooked fusilli pasta, tomatoes, parsley, shaved cheese, white cheese pearls with a metal fork on a gray surface

FAQs

What's different about gluten free pasta?

Dried gluten free pasta is usually made with either only rice, or a combination of rice and other grains, like corn and/or potatoes. Since cooked rice turns hard when it's chilled, gluten free pasta made from rice can become hard in the refrigerator. If you know how to select the right dried gf pasta, and how to boil it properly, your gf pasta shouldn't get hard.

What are the best gluten free pasta for pasta salad?

The best gluten free pasta for this gf pasta salad is Rummo brand gluten free fusilli pasta, which is made with a combination of rice, corn, and potato starch, and stays relatively soft even when cold. But there are lots of other, widely available brands of gluten free pasta. Another favorite is Bionaturae.

What's the difference between pasta salad and macaroni salad?

Macaroni salad is a pasta salad made with elbow macaroni, and is usually prepared with mayonnaise similar to potato salad. Pasta salad is dressed with a more traditional salad dressing, like a vinaigrette or, like here, green goddess dressing.

Can you really use gluten free pasta for pasta salad?

Yes! If you use the right gluten free pasta, prepare it the right way, and assemble the salad as described, you can make delicious gluten free pasta salad.

Can you make gluten free pasta salad ahead of time?

Yes! In fact, you need to make the pasta salad about an hour before you plan to serve it, so the salad can marinate in the dressing. Avoid making it much earlier than that, though, so you don't have to refrigerate the cooked pasta.

What's the best way to serve gf pasta salad?

Serve a big bowl of this creamy gluten free pasta salad as a side dish at a barbeque or potluck, or as a base for grilled chicken or steak to make a quick, hearty meal.

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Gluten Free Pasta Salad | Creamy Homemade Dressing

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.

Course: Pasta, Salad

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 13

Resting time: 1

Yield: 8 servings as a side

Author: Nicole Hunn

Equipment

Blender for making the dressing

Ingredients

For the green goddess dressing

1 cup (225 g) mayonnaise at room temperature
1 cup (256 g) sour cream at room temperature
¼ cup (2 fluid ounces) 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 (16 ounces) dried gluten free short pasta (Rummo brand gluten free fusilli works well)
1 tablespoon (14 g) 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 (16 fluid ounces) 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.