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Zesty Italian Pasta Salad (Gluten-Free)

Prep: 20 mins.Cook: 10 mins.Total: 30 mins.
Servings: Serves 6 (Makes 10 cups) 1x

Ingredients

For the Salad:

  • 8 ounces pasta of choice, uncooked*
  • 1 medium yellow bell pepper, diced small
  • 1 pint (10-11 ounces) cherry tomatoes, halved 
  • 1 medium zucchini, diced small
  • ½ small red onion, very thinly sliced
  • 3 ounces hard salami, cut into matchsticks
  • 6 ounces fresh mozzarella**, cubed (or halved if using ‘ciliegine’ size)
  • ½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 small bunch fresh basil, chopped or finely sliced
  • ½ cup sliced pepperoncini peppers (optional)

For the Dressing: 

  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
  • Juice ½ lemon, ~1 Tbsp.
  • 1 ½ tsp. dried Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ½  tsp. salt + more to taste
  • ¼ tsp. black pepper
  • ½ tsp. honey (optional)

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta to al dente (usually 9-11 minutes depending on the pasta you are using). Remove pasta from heat, drain, rinse well, and set aside to cool.
  2. While the pasta cooks, slice and dice the veggies, salami, mozzarella, and herbs according to the recipe. Transfer everything to a large bowl and set aside.
  3. Make the homemade Italian dressing by combining all of the ingredient in a small bowl and whisking until well combined.
  4. Add drained and cooled pasta to the bowl with the veggies, salami, and cheese. Pour dressing over the pasta mixture and gently toss to combine.

Notes

*You can use any type and shape of pasta for this salad. To make this a gluten-free recipe, use gluten-free pasta. We like this gluten-free pasta from Thrive Market because it stays soft when chilled.

**Omit mozzarella for dairy-free and replace with additional veggies, as desired

Nutrition Information

  • Serving Size: 1 ⅔ cups
  • Calories: 405
  • Fat: 23g
  • (Sat Fat: 7g)
  • Sodium: 385mg
  • Carbohydrate: 41g
  • (Fiber: 4g
  • Sugar: 2g)
  • Protein: 15g

Dietary

© The Real Food Dietitians
Recipe By: Jessica Beacom