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    Home » Sides

    Creamy Italian Pasta Salad {Gluten-Free}

    Published: Jun 26, 2017 · by Audrey

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    An easy to make gluten-free creamy Italian pasta salad. A classic pasta salad made with homemade creamy Italian dressing.

    a bowl of gluten-free creamy Italian pasta salad

    Click HERE to save the recipe to Pinterest!

    Gluten-Free Pasta Salad

    I adore pasta salad, really anything pasta, and nothing says summer to me more than a big ol‘ bowl of pasta salad.

    I prefer it to be made with a creamy dressing because I like the way the dressing clings to the pasta. Kinda reminds me of eating pasta, Alfredo.

    Homemade Creamy Italian Dressing

    I don’t do packaged seasoning mixes and honestly friend, neither should you. There is nothing better than homemade dressing.

    It’s super simple to make, and I bet you already have what you need in your pantry.

    My creamy Italian dressing is made with real mayonnaise, two types of vinegar, my Italian seasoning blend and grated Parmesan cheese.

    I promise, once you taste it, you will never go back to store-bought creamy Italian dressing again.

    two bowls of gluten-free creamy Italian pasta salad

    Cooking Gluten-Free Pasta Tips

    Gluten-free pasta can be tricky. I have tried a lot of different brands of gluten-free pasta, and based on flavor and texture, my favorite brand of gluten-free pasta is Barilla.

    I always salt my water, at least a tablespoon for 1 pound of pasta in 4 quarts (16 cups) water. Also, add a teaspoon of olive oil to the water to keep the pasta from sticking together.

    Make sure to add the salt, olive oil and pasta to the water once it has come to a rolling boil. It is very important that you cook the pasta al dente to the box’s directions.

    I always rinse my pasta with cold water after draining it to keep it from cooking longer and getting mushy.

    Tips to Make the Perfect Italian Pasta Salad

    • Don’t overcook the pasta. I like to cook the gluten-free pasta to al dente. Rise the pasta with cold water for best results.
    • Cool your pasta before adding the vegetables and dressing.
    • Cut your vegetables into bite-sized pieces.

    Can You Make This Ahead Of Time?

    Yes! This pasta salad is even better the next day! Make sure to store it in an air-tight container and refrigerate.

    There is nothing simpler or more satisfying than a big beautiful bowl of gluten-free pasta salad. The homemade creamy Italian dressing really is the showstopper of this pasta salad.

    Mix in your favorite Italian veggies, and you will have a pasta salad that I promise no one will ever know it’s gluten-free! Ready in less than 20 minutes.

    A perfect gluten-free creamy Italian pasta salad for your next cookout or family get together. A classic pasta salad that everyone loves!

    How To Make Gluten-Free Italian Pasta Salad

    You can see how easy this gluten-free creamy Italian pasta salad is to make in the video below!

    More Gluten-Free Side Dish Recipes To Try!

    • Gluten-Free Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese
    •  Easy Gluten-Free Stuffing {Dairy-Free}
    • Gluten-Free Bacon, Tomato and Cheese Macaroni Salad

    Let’s Connect! You can FOLLOW ME on  Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

    ★Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!★

    Print Pin
    5 from 23 votes

    Creamy Italian Pasta Salad {Gluten-Free}

    Homemade creamy Italian dressing combined with artichokes hearts, black olives, grape tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, roasted red peppers and gluten-free rotini pasta. A perfect gluten-free creamy Italian pasta salad for your next cookout or family get together. A summer classic that everyone loves!
    Course Salad
    Cuisine Italian
    Keyword gluten-free Italian pasta salad, gluten-free pasta salad
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 8 minutes
    Total Time 18 minutes
    Servings 8
    Calories 334kcal
    Author Audrey

    Ingredients

    • 1 (12-ounce) box gluten-free Rotini or Penne pasta I like Barilla gluten-free pasta.
    • 1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts ,drained and chopped
    • 1 cup black olives
    • 1 cup grape tomatoes
    • 1 cup mozzarella cheese ,diced
    • 1 cup roasted red peppers , diced
    • Fresh chopped basil ,optional

    Creamy Italian Dressing

    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • 1 teaspoon basil
    • 1 teaspoon oregano
    • 1 teaspoon parsley
    • ½ teaspoon thyme
    • ½ teaspoon marjoram
    • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • 2 tablespoons sugar
    • 1 cup mayonnaise (I am a Hellman’s girl)
    • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
    • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Bring water to a rolling boil. Add salt, olive oil and pasta to the water and cook to box directions for al dente.
    • After draining the pasta, rinse pasta with cold water.
    • Add pasta to a large bowl and stir in artichokes hearts, black olives, grape tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, roasted red peppers
    • In a small bowl, add all of the dressing ingredients and stir until fully combined.
    • Add the dressing to pasta and stir until fully coated. Garnish with fresh chopped basil. Enjoy!
    • Store leftovers in an air-tight container.

    Video

    Notes

    • Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. 
    • Mama says, "Check all labels!"

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 334kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 1397mg | Potassium: 113mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 535IU | Vitamin C: 10.9mg | Calcium: 233mg | Iron: 0.6mg
    Pin Recipe
    Did you enjoy this recipe? Please give it a star rating below in the comments. Thank you!
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    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Share a recipe pic with me and mention @MamaKnowsGlutenFree and use the tag #mamaknowsglutenfree!

     

     

     

     

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    © MAMA KNOWS GLUTEN FREE. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please link back to this post for the recipe.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rebekah says

      December 30, 2022 at 4:08 pm

      made it today for the dressing and it’s really tasty! I love more of a creamier dressing. so I’ll be using this again and again! can’t wait to share with others tomorrow for NYE.

      Reply
    2. Beth Arnold says

      August 19, 2022 at 7:09 pm

      I made this yesterday for a potluck today. It was so good. A friend is gluten free, which is whyI made it. She said it was delicious. Thank you for a good, easy recipe.

      Reply
    3. Lara Suchan says

      July 22, 2022 at 8:31 am

      My whole family LOVED this pasta salad! Definitely a 5-star recipe for taste and ease. Thank you @mamaknowsglutenfree!

      Reply
    4. Denise says

      July 09, 2022 at 12:09 pm

      Came across this recipe when searching for side dishes to take to a BBQ.. Need a recipe that was gluten free for me and for my daughter who has food allegeries. This was very good. Even my husband loved it and he is not gluten free or food allegeries. Thank you for the recipe. Can’t wait to try your other recipes.

      Reply
    5. Melonie says

      March 08, 2022 at 6:16 pm

      Didn’t have olives so I used chopped broccoli florets and added shredded carrot. Best pasta salad I’ve ever tasted! 👌🏼

      Reply
    6. Mirta Signo-Diaz says

      January 10, 2022 at 4:13 pm

      Thank you so much for creating delicious alternative recipes. I made the Creamy Italian vegan glutten free dairy free pasta on Christmas Eve. I have made it 3 times since then because everyone lives it so much. I just had my brother in law asked for your recipe Because it was such a big hit when they came over. Thank you.

      Reply
    7. Andrea says

      October 11, 2021 at 1:39 pm

      Hands down best pasta salad !

      Reply
    8. Hannah says

      August 21, 2021 at 6:32 pm

      I love this salad! It’s easy and delicious.

      Reply
    9. Rhonda Williams says

      July 04, 2021 at 10:09 am

      This is a wonderful salad! We’re dairy free, gluten free and egg free- I used the Jovial rotini pasta for the first time and it was delicious. For the dressing I used vegan mayo and nutritional yeast cans our cheese chunks on the side for those who wanted it, I also added uncured hard salami and just used the veggies we had on hand….Just. Wow! Thank you for sharing this! Whoop you won’t be disappointed in this one try it y’all! Rhonda in Texas

      Reply
    10. Kristen Davis says

      June 12, 2021 at 10:59 am

      We loved this recipe! I did double double the dressing for the recipe. Everyone raved about it at the picnic I brought it to yesterday! Not much was left over!

      Reply
    11. Linda Tanzini says

      May 22, 2021 at 2:28 pm

      Audrey,do have any idea why my pasta in salads always turn hard over nigh? Happens every time, even does the same to the ones my daughter makes. This didn’t happen to my gluten full days. I think I’ve searched the universe to try to find the answer. I do use mostly barilla. Also, maybe silly question but is the parmesian in dressing fresh or from the shaker container, thanks so much for your wonderful recipes, Linda

      Reply
      • Audrey says

        July 21, 2021 at 7:25 pm

        Hi Linda! You could try cooking the pasta al dente. Then after you drain the pasta, run some cold water over it while it is in the colander. I use Barilla gluten-free pasta. I used shaker-style parmesan cheese in the dressing. Thank you so much for your kind words!

        Reply
      • Sherry Blanchard says

        May 24, 2022 at 4:07 pm

        I was told by the people of Jovial pasta to cook an additional 2 minutes if you’re using it for a cold pasta dish. It works!

        Reply
    12. Kim wilder says

      May 22, 2021 at 7:08 am

      Thank you for the details of your recipes, it is most helpful. This was the best pasta salad we have ever made at home. Keep those inspirations and pictures of your food coming! Your gluten free recipes have all been delicious and easy to make with ingredients that are not unheard of. Thank you again for your sharing and caring😁

      Reply
    13. Shelley says

      May 20, 2021 at 11:19 am

      Made this for supper yesterday. It was a hit. Loved the mix of ingredients, went well with bbqed honey garlic sausage. Delicious! Saving this one!

      Reply
    14. Christa Mitchell says

      July 23, 2020 at 8:21 pm

      Tried this tonight, switched out mayonnaise with Greek yogurt, switched out sugar with honey and added a half an avocado in the dressing for a “healthy” twist. Was super yummy; the whole family loved it! Will be a regular on our dinner rotation for sure! Thanks so much for sharing!

      Reply
    15. Laura says

      July 05, 2020 at 2:35 pm

      This recipe is so good! Only thing I did different is the veggies because of what I had in my fridge. The dressing is to die for!

      Reply
    16. Pat Pulliam says

      June 12, 2020 at 1:27 pm

      This was so very good. I used different veggies because of what I had on hand, but the star of the show is the dressing. It was excellent. I used Banza Rotini and it was perfect in the salad also. Thanks for posting this. It will be a regular on our lunch schedule.

      Reply
    17. Sheri Pueblo says

      May 25, 2020 at 11:26 am

      Delicious. I used 1/2 mayo and 1/2 greek yogurt and ~1/2 the parmesan in the dressing and sprinkled 1/4 cup over salad. I will make the dressing again for green salads as well, yum. My husband doesn’t like olives so I added additional veggies (cucumbers, par-boiled brocollini and cauliflower), grated carrots. Was a hit at the BBQ.

      Reply
    18. Lauta says

      May 03, 2020 at 8:27 pm

      This pasta salad is the best I’ve ever had! The dressing is soo good. Next time I might make a double batch of the dressing to use on a green salad as well!

      Reply
    19. Diane Napoli says

      April 20, 2020 at 10:16 am

      I made this Creamy Italian Dressing this weekend, minus the Parmesan cheese since I am also dairy free. It was DELICIOUS! I served with a green salad instead of the pasta. It is definitely a keeper!!

      Reply
      • Audrey says

        April 22, 2020 at 7:13 pm

        Thank you so much Diane for the awesome 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the dressing and the recipe is a keeper. Thank you again!

        Reply
    20. Gina Tipton says

      January 05, 2020 at 6:38 pm

      I must say I have tried a lot of pasta salads, and the dressing from this recipe made it absolutely the best! I only looked for a gluten-free recipe for my mom because she has celiac, but I wasn’t expecting to love it. I will make this one over and over. It’s the best of all recipes I have tried! It’s a keeper.

      Reply
      • Audrey says

        January 06, 2020 at 7:39 pm

        Thank you so much Gina for the awesome 5-star recipe review, it really made my day! I am so happy that you enjoy the pasta salad and it’s the best recipe you have tried. Thank you again!

        Reply
    21. Pat says

      August 03, 2019 at 1:11 pm

      What would be a good substitute for the artichoke hearts. I love them but have some friends who don’t.

      Reply
      • Audrey says

        August 05, 2019 at 10:14 am

        Hi Pat! You can use any vegetable in place of the artichoke hearts. I hope everyone enjoys the pasta salad!

        Reply
        • Katherine says

          January 12, 2023 at 1:58 pm

          Hi Audrey. Can you use fresh herbs and garlic and onion in the dressing recipe please? Thanks sounds delicious.

          Reply
          • Audrey says

            January 12, 2023 at 7:05 pm

            Hi Katherine! You can use fresh herbs in the dressing recipe. I hope you enjoy the pasta salad!

            Reply
    22. Anitra says

      May 02, 2019 at 7:54 pm

      If I want to make this the day before a party, do you suggest putting the dressing on before refrigerating or adding the dressing before serving?

      Reply
      • Audrey says

        May 03, 2019 at 10:27 am

        Hi Anitra! I would add the dressing before and refrigerate. I actually think this salad is better the second day. Just make sure to make that you use a good gluten-free pasta. I like Barilla gluten-free pasta the best. I hope you enjoy the pasta salad!

        Reply
        • Anitra says

          May 03, 2019 at 3:14 pm

          Great thanks! Do you recommend serving cold or at room temp?

          Reply
          • Audrey says

            May 04, 2019 at 9:10 pm

            Hi Anitra! I think it really depends on personal preference. I hope everyone enjoys it!

            Reply
    23. May says

      May 01, 2019 at 7:16 pm

      Excellent! And I discovered artichoke bottoms. So much more meat than the hearts. I roasted one large pepper which equaled one cup diced perfect. Great-great-great recipe!

      Reply
      • Audrey says

        May 02, 2019 at 8:24 am

        Thank you so much May for the wonderful 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the pasta salad. I am going to have to look for artichoke bottoms. I love artichokes. Thank you again!

        Reply
    24. Megan says

      July 12, 2018 at 12:42 pm

      Have you ever made this dressing to use on a green salad? How long does does it keep in the fridge?
      My son is Gluten, Dairy, and Sugar- free, and I would love to try this dressing for him, as he loves salad. We haven’t found a good ranch dressing either.

      Reply
      • Audrey says

        July 12, 2018 at 12:48 pm

        Hi Megan! This salad dressing would be great on a green salad, but you would have to use dairy-free parmesan cheese or leave the parmesan cheese out of it. It should keep well in the fridge because it’s mayonnaise based. I do have a dairy-free ranch dressing I use on my potato salad that you could try also. https://www.mamaknowsglutenfree.com/loaded-bacon-ranch-potato-salad-gluten-free-dairy-free-option

        Reply
    25. Mary Mercer says

      June 08, 2018 at 10:24 am

      Does the pasta hold up well after making and storing in the refrigerator. If I wanted to make a day ahead would the pasta get mushy?

      Reply
      • Audrey says

        June 08, 2018 at 12:05 pm

        Hi Mary! I’ve never had a problem with the pasta getting mushy. I always use Barilla gluten-free pasta and I make sure to follow the cooking directions on the box. I’ve enjoyed the leftovers for several days. I hope you try it and enjoy it!

        Reply
    26. Prudy says

      June 01, 2018 at 1:04 pm

      We loved this sooooooooooooooooooo much. The dressing reminded me of this Parmesan sauce Arby’s used to have on a turkey sandwich ages ago. In fact I spread it on a grilled turkey & Italian cheeses sandwich and I wanted a second sandwich.

      Reply
      • Audrey says

        June 01, 2018 at 8:26 pm

        Thank you so much Prudy! This makes my heart so happy. The dressing really does make this salad. I’ll have to try in on a sandwich. I remember the good ole days when I could eat Arby’s too.

        Reply
    27. Jennifer says

      May 29, 2018 at 5:31 pm

      This pasta salad was so amazing! I especially loved the dressing!

      Reply
      • Audrey says

        May 29, 2018 at 8:51 pm

        Thank you so much Jennifer!

        Reply
    28. Joanie says

      May 29, 2018 at 4:27 pm

      This salad contains all of my favorite ingredients in one bowl. The flavors are fantastic and I love making up a big bowl in the beginning of the week and enjoying it for lunch during the week. Thank you for a wonderful recipe.

      Reply
      • Audrey says

        May 29, 2018 at 8:53 pm

        Thank you so much Joanie! It’s one of my favorite pasta salads too. I love making enough that I can have lunch during the week as well.

        Reply
    29. Andra says

      January 02, 2018 at 7:24 pm

      It was easy to make. Everyone loved it for Christmas Dinner. I even took it to work for my coworkers and they loved it as well.

      Reply
      • Audrey says

        January 02, 2018 at 9:04 pm

        Hi Andra! I am so glad that you enjoyed the pasta salad. It really makes my heart happy to hear this. Thank you so much for sharing this with me.

        Reply
    30. Shannon says

      July 26, 2017 at 10:50 am

      That looks really yummy! We will have to give it a try!

      Reply
      • Audrey says

        July 26, 2017 at 7:08 pm

        Thank you! It’s so easy to make too!

        Reply

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    Audrey Roberts in a white kitchen for a profile photo

    I'm Audrey Roberts, a busy mama of four and I love sharing the recipes that I make for my family. I make gluten-free family-friendly recipes that are simple and delicious that you can too! I use easy to find ingredients that won't break your budget. You will also find dairy-free options and Paleo recipes. I am also the author of  The Everything Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Cookbook, which is an Amazon Best Selling Cookbook in the US and Internationally. Living gluten-free since 2010. I hope by me sharing my journey it may help you with yours.  Read More…

     

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