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

A Classic Italian Pasta Salad that's gluten-free, vegan, and allergy-free! The cold pasta salad you love, with tri-colored pasta, fresh veggies, and a healthy homemade Italian dressing! A super easy and quick meat-free vegetarian and dairy-free recipe that's a perfect side dish to feed any crowd!

Recipe by Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine on June 1, 2020

Prep time: PT10M

Cook time: PT10M

Total time: PT20M

Rating

5 stars ( reviews)

Keywords

pasta, pasta salad, cold pasta salad, classic pasta salad, gluten-free pasta salad, vegan pasta salad, easy pasta salad, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, allergy-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, nut-free, peanut-free, coconut-free, corn-free, sesame-free, sugar-free, kid-friendly, make-ahead

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 1/2 medium onion)
1 Cup Sliced Black Olives (1 3.8 oz can)
1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
1 TB Dried Parsley
1 TB Dried Oregano
2 Tsp Dried Basil
1/2 Tsp Black Pepper

Cuisine

Italian

Steps

Boil the gluten-free rotini according to package directions, minus about 2 minutes to keep the noodles from getting mushy.
In the meantime, chop the bell peppers, cucumber, tomatoes, onion, and toss them into a large bowl with the sliced black olives.
Drain and rinse the pasta under cold water to stop the cooking process before adding them to the chopped veggies.
Measure and add the olive oil, vinegar, and seasonings to the pasta salad bowl.
Gently mix and toss everything together in the bowl to combine.
Let the pasta salad marinate and chill in the fridge, for at least 30 minutes (preferably overnight), before serving.
Enjoy cool, at room temperature.

Nutitrion

Serving Size: Varies

Reviews

blanca on 2020-06-01 (5 stars):
It's like you were in my mind and stomach today. I was craving just this thing. It sounds so tasty and pretty much anyone can eat it (perfect party food). Gonna go make myself a batch right now :)
Angela on 2020-06-06 (5 stars):
Yummy, I love having pasta salad in the summer with my veggie burgers. I'll have to make this for my next BBQ or for the 4th of July. Thanks for sharing this recipe. I can't wait to try it.
Theresa on 2020-06-11 (5 stars):
I love Italian pasta salads! They are always a staple for our at-home bbqs!
Helen on 2020-06-12 (5 stars):
Loved this! Tastes just like a traditional Italian pasta salad should taste like!
Chantal on 2021-05-29 (5 stars):
Great salad! But why doesn’t the recipe call for salt? In my opinion, it needs some.
Denise Williams on 2026-01-20 (5 stars):
I've got celiac and dairyallergies and after years of tummy troubles snd then a major about to die episode I was diagnosed with alpha gal syndrome...have been testing some recipes and omgoodness...this is so delicious..I sampled a cup full and even before putting in the fridge to marinate it was soooo good...I added a can of chickpeas to get more protein in me and I just found some vegan feta crumbles and plan to add them to the top when I serve it...the only problem I noticed is that there is 5 more hours until supper! I hope it survives my tempted tastbuds until then! Thankyou so much for this recipe! It is fabulous!
Alyse Stults on 2021-05-29 (5 stars):
I made a similar recipe and my gluten free rice pasta noodles got hard. Do you know what I did wrong?
Kim on 2022-05-30 (5 stars):
Added 1/2 balsamic vinegar with red wine vinegar, added 1/2 t salt. So tasty!
Harry on 2022-10-06 (5 stars):
Wow, this is the best! Just like I remember growing up with at cookouts!
PAT on 2024-03-03 (5 stars):
LOVED IT. PAT
Linda on 2024-07-04 (5 stars):
This pasta salad is delectable! I made it for a July 4th get-together and it was a HUGE hit. My only question is the servings amount. The recipe made enough to fill a very large bowl, but says it makes 6-8 servings. Considering there are 11 cups of chopped veggies, what portion size would each serving be?
April on 2024-07-29 (5 stars):
Made this and left out peppers cuz they don’t agree with me and added some pesto and used basalmic oil and it was outstanding. My mother is celiac and never knows what to eat. She rated this as Exceptionally good
Sam E on 2025-05-25 (5 stars):
One of my fav recipes on the internet!! I make it using the Trader Joe's chickpea pasta and it's come out amazing every time. I also use kalamata olives instead. I love that it is vegan and gluten free so no need to worry about allergies at the cookout. Thank you for such a fantastic recipe <3