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Cold Italian Pasta Salad (Gluten-Free, Vegan, Allergy-Free)

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This Cold Italian Pasta Salad is a refreshing, gluten-free, and vegan dish featuring tri-colored rotini, crisp vegetables, and a zesty homemade Italian dressing. It’s perfect for a light side dish, picnic, BBQ, or as a healthy meal prep option.

Ingredients

12 oz Gluten-Free Tri-Color Rotini

2 cups chopped English cucumber (1 large cucumber)

2 cups chopped red bell pepper (1 medium pepper)

2 cups chopped orange bell pepper (1 medium pepper)

2 cups chopped yellow bell pepper (1 medium pepper)

2 cups halved grape tomatoes (1 pint)

1 cup chopped red onion (about ½ medium onion)

1 cup sliced black olives (1 3.8 oz can)

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

½ cup apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp dried parsley

1 tbsp dried oregano

2 tsp dried basil

½ tsp black pepper

Instructions

  1. Boil the gluten-free rotini according to package directions, cooking for 2 minutes less than suggested to avoid mushiness.
  2. While pasta is cooking, chop the bell peppers, cucumber, tomatoes, and red onion. Add them to a large mixing bowl along with sliced black olives.
  3. Drain the cooked pasta and rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking process. Add it to the bowl with the chopped veggies.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, parsley, oregano, basil, and black pepper to make the dressing.
  5. Pour the dressing over the pasta and vegetables, and gently toss to combine evenly.
  6. Let the salad marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (preferably overnight) for the best flavor.
  7. Serve chilled or at room temperature and enjoy!

Notes

For extra protein, add chickpeas or tofu to make the salad more filling.

Feel free to swap out bell peppers for zucchini or olives for capers.

For a spicier version, add red pepper flakes to the dressing.

If not gluten-free, feel free to use any pasta of your choice, but rotini works best for holding the dressing.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://chocolatecoveredamy.com/cold-italian-pasta-salad-gluten-free-vegan-allergy-free/