Hanging on to the summer feels with this vibrant, tangy, and *get in my belly* deliciousness No Oil Italian Pasta Salad. This fun, classic picnic dish is reinvented with a healthy twist and packed with nutritious veggies, gluten free tri-colored pasta, and lively dressing. This No Oil Italian Pasta Salad is fast, easy, and an awesome plant based dish that everyone will want seconds. It’s light, refreshing, and perfect for family gatherings or just when you need some summer sunshine vibes.  Whole Food Plant Based, vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, no highly processed ingredients, and gluten free.

Ameera here!

Happy Labor Day!  It’s September, can you believe it?  I know I sure can’t; summer whizzed by in a flash and I never got to the pool, not even once! *heavy sigh*

I love hot weather and sitting by the pool, soaking up the sun’s beautiful rays, pure heaven! September heralds in cooler weather and . . . dun dun duuuun, school.  Ugh, I hated going to school as a kid.  I just wanted to play 24/7.  School really put a cramp on my playing time.  LOL

Lava Monsters!

We are fortunate enough to live on a quiet cul-de-sac where all the neighbor kids played.  We all had big backyards and plenty of space to run around.

I don’t know who invented the game, but we all loved playing Lava Monsters on a pretty regular basis. The premise behind Lava Monsters was to move across our swing set from all the different parts, bars, swings, slide, carriage, surfboard, all without touching the ground, because the ground, of course, was lava!

So, if you fell onto the ground you were swallowed up by the monsters who lived in the lava.  LOL This game kept all of us busy for hours!  I have a ton of fond memories playing lava monsters!  My brother always had the most amazing sound affects while we played this game, adding to the drama!

Pools and Trampolines

Two of our neighbors had pools, and two others had trampolines, so we were pretty much set for summer fun!  All summer long, we ran from house to house, not really understanding just how fortunate we were to have a neighborhood full of kids to play with and a quiet street to ride our big wheels, bikes, and roller blade.

As kids, we lived for summer!  The heat never bothered us because we just wanted to play from the time we woke up until we went to bed at night. We ran ourselves ragged.

Summer Picnics

Our family didn’t have a ton of picnics growing up because every summer day was kind of a picnic!  We were always outside running around.  We have a porch on the back of our home and many days we would sit out there eating, playing card games, and just enjoying the summer.

Mom always made an amazing pasta salad!  It was pretty much your classic Italian pasta salad filled with pasta, veggies, olives, etc. with an Italian dressing consisting of oil, vinegar and seasonings.  It was very tasty.

I love me a great pasta salad.  Who doesn’t, right?   We had it all the time.  It was a salad that you could find in the fridge all summer long back in the day!

Italian Pasta Salad Reinvented

When Mom and I sat down to create a Whole Food Plant Based Italian Pasta Salad, we knew our challenge would be tempering the vinegar due to the lack of oil as the balancer.  Miso can typically do the trick and that is exactly what we did here.

Miso is your friend

Miso is everything! If you are a regular reader on our blog, then you will find that we use miso pretty regularly.  Why?  Because it really lends itself to balancing flavors when you don’t use oil.

I know some people may be a little intimidated by miso.  We were a little at first, but you really shouldn’t be afraid. If you are going to live the Whole Food Plant Based lifestyle, then you will quickly find that miso is your friend; we are pretty much besties now lol.

Miso is simply a paste made from fermented soybeans, barley or rice malt.  We use a gluten-free mellow white miso.  It really is magic!  It is totally compliant, and most grocery stores carry it these days.  You can find it in the refrigerator section.

A lot of vegans and Whole Food Plant Basers call it “the secret weapon” because it really brings that rich umami flavor forward in most dishes.  Since we discovered it, we use it a lot.  Simply because it really adds something special to our dishes that you just can’t get with other ingredients.

Plus, it has a really long refrigerator shelf life because it is fermented.  So, if you can’t find it locally, I would suggest that when you are taking any trips out of town, find a store that carries it, take a small ice chest and stock up!  Trust me, you won’t be sorry!  It really takes the flavor up a notch with just about any recipe!

Just ask Mom!

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Hi!  Robin here.

I’ll be honest, the first time Monkey wanted to add miso to a recipe, I was like “What the heck is miso?”  I didn’t want to use it at all because I just assumed that everyone would find this ingredient intimidating and not want to use it.

Monkey convinced me otherwise.  We typically do several kitchen tests (3 to 4 on average) and she slipped some miso into one of the dishes that we had kitchen tested several times and had me taste test it, I was like “Oh my goodness, what did you add?  This is sooo good!”   She just stood there smiling and said “Miso!”   SOLD!  I am now a miso-convert!  I love it!

Please don’t be intimidated by it like I was at first, it is totally worth it and if you are Whole Food Plant Based, it IS a secret weapon just like everyone says!  LOL

While our Italian Pasta Salad is pretty much a traditional Italian Pasta Salad, it is really tasty! We also grated a daikon radish and it added a nice light flavor, but it can be totally left out If you wish. The beauty of pasta salad is you can mix and match using your favorite veggies.

Choosing excellent vinegars is also key to the success of this recipe. You want a white wine vinegar that has a beautiful mellow flavor.  Since we do not use oil in our recipes, choosing a great white wine vinegar makes a huge different in the flavor component.

We hope you give it a try! AND if you do, let us know! We would love to hear from you!

p.s. This recipe can be easily halved into 4 to 5 servings! 

Products Used:

• Stock pot to boil the pasta and blanche the broccoli

No Oil Italian Pasta Salad

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• Author: Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 8-10 Servings 1x
• Category: Salads, Sides
• Cuisine: Italian

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Description

Hanging on to the summer feels with this vibrant, tangy, and *get in my belly* deliciousness No Oil Italian Pasta Salad. This fun, classic picnic dish is reinvented with a healthy twist and packed with nutritious veggies, gluten free tri-colored pasta, and lively dressing. This No Oil Italian Pasta Salad is fast, easy, and an awesome plant based dish that everyone will want seconds. It’s light, refreshing, and perfect for family gatherings or just when you need some summer sunshine vibes.  Whole Food Plant Based, vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, no highly processed ingredients, and gluten free.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 12 oz. spiral tri-colored pasta *
• 2 carrots, grated
• 4 cups broccoli, chopped into small pieces, blanched for 30 seconds
• 15 yellow grape tomatoes, cut in half (or red grape/cherry tomatoes)
• 3 to 4 green onions, sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cubed
• 1 cup daikon radish, grated (optional)
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed 

Salad Dressing Ingredients:

• 5 to 10 Tablespoons white wine vinegar (Please See Notes)*
• 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 4 Tablespoons water
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 6 Tablespoons tahini
• 4 teaspoons white miso *
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons dried minced onions
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (+/-)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (+/-) *
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

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Instructions

1. Blanche the small broccoli pieces in boiling water for 30 seconds, then remove the blanched broccoli from the boiling water and plunge it in cold water to stop the cooking process. Allow to drain in a colander until ready to use.
2. Cook the pasta until el dente, then place the cooked pasta in a colander and then rinse the cooked pasta with cold water to stop the cooking process. Continue rinsing the pasta in a colander until the pasta is cold, then set aside to drain in a colander until ready to use.  (You can use the same water that you blanched the broccoli in, to cook the pasta in, if you wish. I used two separate pots, but you can totally use the same pot with the same boiling water).
3. Prepare the dressing by combining all the dressing ingredients into a bowl and whisk well to combine. Set aside until ready to use.  (Please see notes on vinegar amounts).
4. Place all the prepared veggies and blanched broccoli into a large bowl, then add the cooked pasta. Stir to combine.
5. Slowly add about 3/4ths of the dressing and gently toss. Then slowly drizzle in a little more dressing until the pasta to dressing ratio has been achieved. We used it all.  Some folks like their pasta well coated while others prefer a light coating where the veggie really shine through. (see recipe notes)
6. Let the salad sit for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to marry with the pasta, then test for seasonings (we sprinkled a little more sea salt and pepper, and a shake of Italian seasoning), add more seasonings based upon personal preference.

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Notes

*Tips:  Thoroughly rinse the cooked pasta in cold water until the pasta is cold, then shake off any excess water and allow to drain for a few minutes, then shake the pasta again before adding to the bowl.  Any lingering water that hangs onto the pasta will water down your dressing.

*Gluten Free Pasta:  If using a gluten free pasta, then you know the issues with refrigerating gluten free pasta. Some GF pastas really tighten up in the refrigerator making for a very unpleasant eating experience when served cold.  We absolutely loved this pasta salad right after making it at room temperature.  It was crazy delicious. If you do have to refrigerate it before serving or refrigerate any left-overs, we suggest removing it from the fridge about 30 minutes to an hour before serving. We have found Tinkyada Gluten Free Pasta and Bionaturae Organic Gluten Free Pasta work well in refrigerated GF pasta salads.

*Tri-Colored Fusilli/Spirals: We used Tinkyada Pasta Joy Brown Rice Pasta Vegetable Spirals. 

*White Wine Vinegar: We find that vinegar brands vary based on flavor and tartness. Please adjust the amount of white wine vinegar used in this recipe based on your brand of vinegar. Taste the white wine vinegar, if your white wine vinegar has a strong acidity/tartness, use less to start with (5 Tablespoons vs 10 Tablespoons), and adjust the amount accordingly.  We used a very mellow brand of white wine vinegar. If you are not sure how strong your white wine vinegar is, please start with a smaller amount, and add more if needed.  We suggest reading the white wine vinegar labels as some clearly indicate that they are more mellow than others.  We enjoyed a mellow white wine vinegar in this recipe.

*Salad Dressing:  This pasta salad is really beautiful and tastes bests if you dress it 5 minutes before serving it.  Taste test dressing before adding to the pasta by taking a very tiny amount of pasta and veggies in a small bowl, then add a tiny amount of the dressing, toss it and taste it to get an idea of what it would taste like, and adjust the dressing as needed.

*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.

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

*Serving:  8 to 10 (This recipe can easily be halved to serve 4 to 5 servings).

*Storage: Refrigerate and use within 3 days.

Storage: Refrigerate and use within 4 days.

This post contains affiliate links, and we may receive a very small commission if you purchase through those links at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures! For more information, see our disclosures here.