How do you make a vegetarian pasta salad extra delicious? With tasty ingredients and a super yummy dressing (with mayonnaise). And then even the real meat lover can't get enough of this crowd-pleasing recipe. This creamy salad is richly filled, juicy and the flavor is fantastic!
I like to eat pasta salads for lunch or as a light dinner dish. Certainly when it's hot outside. And it's also a great side for a summer BBQ. And at the latter, when all the meat is grilled, this summery side dish is a real crowd-pleaser.
This cold salad is juicy, looks colorful and it's got a great taste. The vegetables are refreshing, the old cheese salty and the mayonnaise dressing ensures that the salad tastes rich and creamy. And it won't become a soggy bite.
Use a creamy dressing to make this pasta salad even more delicious!
- Pasta - Of course one of the most important ingredients in this recipe. Use bigger sorts like fusilli or penne. And because of their form, the dressing will cover the outside of the penne or fusilli, which gives even more flavor.
- Cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and pearl onions - The filling for this vegetarian pasta salad. Refreshing veggies for when it's hot outside. These veggies will keep their bite and therefore they're a great option. You can substitute the cherry tomatoes with sun-dried tomatoes if you like them.
- Olive oil, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper - The ingredients for a simple dressing with lots of flavors. This salad can become dry quite easily, so use enough dressing. TIP: add 1 tablespoon of pesto to your dressing for even more flavor.
- Basil - With it's great scent, beautiful color and soft flavor (and because it's a great combination with the tomatoes), I've choose this herb as my addition to this salad.
- Old cheese - An old cheese gives a salty hint. You can substitute the cheese with Parmesan cheese if you like.
🔪Instructions
Step 1 - Cook the penne
- Bring a pan with 2 inches (5 cm) of water to a boil. Add the penne and cook the time described on the package to cook it al dente. Drain in a colander.
- Put it into a bowl and pour one tablespoon of olive oil. Mix everything. Cover with plastic foil and let it cool down to room temperature.
Step 2 Slice the vegetables
- Wash the cucumber and quarter it vertically. Now you can slice it easily.
- Wash the cherry tomatoes and quarter them. Also, slice the pearl onions finely.
Step 3: make the mayonnaise dressing. This incredibly creamy dressing is one of the best additions to this pasta salad. Put the mayonnaise and the remaining olive oil in a bowl. Then add ½ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Mix everything well.
Step 4 - Assemble
- When the penne is cooled down, add the cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and pearl onions to the bowl. Tear the basil in small strips and add them too.
- Take the dressing and put it into the bowl.
- Mix the dressing through the salad so everything gets a creamy layer. Put plastic foil on the bowl and put it in the refrigerator for a minimum of two hours, so it gets even more flavor.
- Grate or shave the old cheese and sprinkle it on top. Serve immediately.
Do you need to add oil to the pasta water?
In some recipes some oil is added to the water to make sure you're pasta won't stick. This isn't true though. Oil doesn't mix with water, so it will be laying on top of the water. But how do you make sure your pasta won't stick?
After adding the pasta, stir when the water comes to a boil again. And when you've drained it and put it back in the bowl add a tablespoon of oil and mix everything well. This will make sure the pasta won't stick.
Do you love a vegetarian pasta salad? Or do you like eating salads for lunch, dinner or as a side dish? Then I have a number of tasty recipes you might like.
Did you make this recipe? Tag #byandreajanssen via Instagram. I enjoy seeing what your creation looks like. Video recipes can be found on my YouTube channel. And don't forget to save the recipes on Pinterest so you can easily find them next time!
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Vegetarian pasta salad with mayo {CREAMY}
Ingredients
Vegetarian pasta salad
- 1 pound penne or Fusilli
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- â…” pound cherry tomatoes
- 1 cucumber
- 10 onions
- 20 basil leaves
- 2 oz old cheese
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Ingredients you need per step are listed below the step in Italic
Instructions
Prepare the pasta
- Bring a pan with 2 inches (5 cm) of water to a boil.
- Add 2 teaspoons of salt to the water and then add the penne.
- Cook the penne al dente according to the time description on the package.
- Drain in a colander.
- Put in a bowl and mix one tablespoon of olive oil through the pasta. Allow cooling to room temperature.
Filling
- Wash and cut the cucumber vertically into quarters and then into slices.
- Wash and quarter the cherry tomatoes.
- Chop the pearl onions finely.
- Tear the basil into strips.
- Prepare the dressing by mixing the mayonnaise with the remaining olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Assemble
- Mix the tomatoes, cucumber, basil and chopped onions through the pasta.
- Stir the dressing into the pasta.
- Cover with plastic foil and let it cool and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
- Just before serving: Grate some cheese on top and serve.
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