Easy Pasta Salad Recipe – Without Mayo!
Summer’s here! Keep cool with a chilled pasta salad without mayo. Featuring a light, refreshing Italian dressing, this simple recipe is perfect for a side dish or an easy lunch.
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Grain-based salads like this Pasta Salad without mayonnaise are great for a potluck or picnic. Another great one is this Trail Mix Salad that uses cold cooked rice. Yum! We have lots of Salad Recipes so check them out for inspiration.
Ingredients for this recipe:
- cooked pasta
- fresh vegetables – tomatoes, cucumber, romaine lettuce
- parmesan cheese
- shallots
- oil – see notes below
- vinegar
- Italian seasoning
- sea salt + black pepper
This is a wonderful salad to make in the spring and summer using garden veggies. See notes below for substitutions.
How to make Pasta Salad without Mayo:
Start by cooking the pasta. Use a large pot of salted water and follow the package instructions. Next, drain and rinse the cooked pasta and spread it out on a baking sheet to cool.
Third, add the dressing ingredients to a small mason jar with a lid and shake it really well.
Then, add the salad ingredients to a large bowl and stir.
Finally, shake the dressing once more, pour over the ingredients in the bowl, and tossing well to coat everything.
FAQs, Tips, and Substitutions:
- You can use a variety of different vegetables for this recipe. I love cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and romaine but you could substitute bell peppers, spring peas, shredded carrots, chopped broccoli or cauliflower, sliced celery, fresh basil, or parsley. Load up the bowl!
- A variety of pasta can be used in this recipe like rotini or use elbow noodles to make macaroni salad – always popular. Substitute gluten free pasta if needed. I like brown rice pasta if I’m going the gluten free route.
- Use red wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice instead of white vinegar for a different flavor.
- If you don’t have a shallot, a teaspoon of finely minced red onion works well also.
- A few tablespoons of crumbled feta cheese is a lovely substitute for grated parmesan cheese.
- Toss in a few olives for a salty punch.
- Add cold shredded chicken, flaked canned tuna, or prawns off the grill for added protein.
- Leave off the cheese for a vegan pasta salad.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
More healthy salad recipes:
- Fattoush Salad
- Spicy Crab Salad
- Coronation Chicken Recipe – Chicken salad fit for a Queen
- Crunchy Detox Salad Recipe with Creamy Avocado Dressing
- Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Cheese
- Cowboy Caviar Salad
- Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese and Roasted Sweet Potato
If you’ve tried my Pasta Salad without Mayo, please rate the recipe and let me know how it turned out by leaving me a comment below. I’m always interested in feedback!
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Easy Pasta Salad – No Mayo!
Ingredients
FOR THE SALAD
- 2 cups dry penne pasta
- 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 2 cups chopped cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup sliced cucumber
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
FOR THE DRESSING
- 3 tbsp MCT oil or Olive oil
- 1 ½ tbsp white vinegar
- 2 tbsp finely minced shallot or red onion
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning
- ¼ tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta noodles according to the package directions. Once it is cooked, drain and rinse the pasta and spread it on a baking sheet to cool.
- Meanwhile, chop the vegetables and grate the cheese.
- Add the dressing ingredients to a small mason jar with a lid and shake really well.
- Place all of the salad ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Shake the dressing again and pour over the salad ingredients. Stir really well to coat everything with the dressing.
- Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Video
Notes
- You can use a variety of different vegetables for this recipe. I love cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and romaine but you could substitute bell peppers, spring peas, shredded carrots, chopped broccoli or cauliflower, sliced celery, fresh basil, or parsley. Load up the bowl!
- A variety of pasta can be used in this recipe like rotini or use elbow noodles to make macaroni salad – always popular. Substitute gluten free pasta if needed. I like brown rice pasta if I’m going the gluten free route.
- Use red wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice instead of white vinegar for a different flavor.
- I use MCT oil for my dressing these days but olive oil is also good.
- If you don’t have a shallot, a teaspoon of finely minced red onion works well also.
- A few tablespoons of crumbled feta cheese is a lovely substitute for grated parmesan cheese.
- Toss in a few olives for a salty punch.
- Add cold shredded chicken, flaked canned tuna, or prawns off the grill for added protein.
- Leave off the cheese for a vegan pasta salad.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.