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Healthy Italian Spaghetti Salad piled high on a plate

Healthy Italian Spaghetti Salad

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  • Author: Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures
  • Prep Time: 10 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 9 Minutes (Pasta)
  • Total Time: 19 Minutes
  • Yield: 4 Servings 1x
  • Category: Salad
  • Cuisine: Italian

Description

When chewy, slurpable pasta is involved you just know it’s going to be a good day. This flavorful, nourishing, and oil free Healthy Italian Spaghetti Salad is what dreams are made of and sure to have you doing your happy dance.  Tasty pasta and veggies drenched in a tangy Italian herby sauce makes for a wholesome and delicious dish that’s perfect for picnics, work lunches, or potlucks. We hope you love this week’s awesome Whip It Up Wednesday recipe.

Whole Food Plant Based recipe, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, no highly processed ingredients and gluten free.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 12 ozspaghetti, cooked and rinsed in cold water *
  • 2 baby English cucumbers (or 1 cup), small dice
  • ½ green bell pepper, small dice
  • ½ cup red onion, fine dice
  • ½ cup sliced black olives (optional)

Dressing Ingredients:

  • 2 Tablespoons + 1 ½ teaspoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons + 1 ½ teaspoons white wine vinegar *
  • 1 Tablespoons water
  • ½ cup tomato sauce
  • 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 ½ teaspoons tahini
  • 1 teaspoon miso*
  • ½ teaspoon organic maple syrup
  • 2 ½ to 3 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon dried minced onion flakes
  • ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika
  • ¾ teaspoon sea salt (+/- to taste) *
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon celery seed (optional)
  • ½ cup canned petite diced tomatoes (drained) or fresh seeded tomatoes

Toppings

  • Finely chopped flat leaf parsley

Instructions

  1. Add all the dressing ingredients (except the petite diced tomatoes) into a bowl, whisk well to combine, then add the petite diced tomatoes, mix well again, then set aside.
  2. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente, then drain and rinse well with cold water until all the pasta is cold. Shake off excess water, then place in a large bowl.
  3. Add the cucumbers, green bell peppers, red onions, and black olives to the pasta, then drizzle half of the dressing over mixture. Mix well. Then drizzle additional dressing over the mixture as need to dress the salad. You may have some dressing left over.  Save any leftover dressing as the pasta tends to drink up the dressing and you may need it to liven up the salad later.
  4. Best served immediately after dressing the salad. Can be served cold from the refrigerator (Please see notes about pasta types.)  If refrigerated, remove the salad from the fridge and allow to sit for 30 minutes. This allows the seasonings to wake up.  Add any remaining dressing (if needed) and gently toss.  Sprinkle with chopped flat leaf parsley, if desired.  Refrigerate leftovers.

Notes

*Miso:  We used Miso Master Organic Mellow White Premium Lite Miso, Certified Gluten Free.  Miso really lends itself to balancing flavors when you don’t use oil. You can also substitute with chickpea miso for a soy free version.

*White Wine Vinegar: Highly recommended to use a mild white wine vinegar with a lower acidity. Taste your vinegar first, if very acidic/tart, use a less amount.

*Pasta:  We used a gluten free pasta (brown rice base); however, if you do not need to be gluten free, you can use your favorite pasta of choice. Please keep in mind that certain types/brands of gluten free pasta can get hard/crunchy when refrigerated. We found that Jovial Gluten Free Pasta does not get crunchy when refrigerated. If your gluten free pasta gets hard/crunchy after refrigerating, only make enough pasta that you plan to eat immediately with dressing. Start with a little dressing and build up to the desired amount and refrigerate any left over dressing for the next time you make the pasta.

*Sea Salt:  Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.

*Servings: 4

*Storage:  Refrigerate and use within 5 days.

*Nutrition Information: Does not include optional add-in of sliced black olives.