Antipasto Pasta Salad
This fresh, brightly coloured pasta salad is popping with delicious classic antipasto ingredients and tossed in a zesty homemade Italian lemon vinaigrette.
Ingredients
- 500 grams dry pasta - fusillini or rotini
- 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes - dry or oil packed
- 1/3 cup slice green or black olives
- 1 cup canned artichokes - not oil packed
- 1 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
- 1/4 cup parsley - tightly packed
- 2 1/2 tbsp chopped red onion
- 3 tbsp vegan feta cheese - crumbled
Lemon Italian Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp grapeseed oil - or another neutral oil
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp agave nectar - or maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp olive brine
- 1 small garlic clove - minced
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasonings
- 1/2 tsp Himalayan salt - or sea salt
- black or white pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in a large stockpot of salted water, only until al dente (according to package directions). Drain pasta and rinse under cold water for about 30 seconds until no longer hot. This will ensure pasta does not become soft or mushy. Set aside.
- Slice/chop sundried tomatoes, olives, artichokes, parsley and onions to desired size and add to a large mixing bowl.
- Add cooled pasta, chickpeas and feta to mixing bowl and gently stir to combine.
- Pour Lemon Italian Vinaigrette over pasta salad and stir. Add pepper to taste and more salt is desired.
- Serve immediately, or store in fridge for 1-2 days in an airtight container.
Lemon Italian Vinaigrette
- In a bowl, whisk all ingredients together. Add more salt and pepper if desired.
Notes
- Feel free to totally adjust ingredients to your taste. Don't like olives? Whatevs... leave them out! Want more fresh ingredients? No prob! Add chopped bell peppers, vine-vipened tomatoes, spinach, you name it! Experiment with what you think will work best.
- Fresh basil is a major flex in this dish. Although I didn't add it to the actual ingredient list, I do often add about a tbsp of freshly picked and chopped basil to the pasta salad.
- Want to add some heat? Add some finely chopped pepperoncini to the mix! It's a common ingredient at antipasto bars and adds a excellent flavour pop.
- To make this recipe gluten-free, feel free to use a gluten-free pasta. I would suggest using a very sturdy option like chickpea or quinoa based brands. Rice and corn pastas will get mushy and soggy pretty quickly.