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An easy to make gluten-free creamy Italian pasta salad. A classic pasta salad made with homemade creamy Italian dressing.
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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.
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!
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Creamy Italian Pasta Salad {Gluten-Free}
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
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon marjoram
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 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
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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My family loved this salad! I made some with gluten free pasta and some with wheat pasta. They were both delicious. Everyone asked for the recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Just made this for a bbq later and I cannot wait to eat this. I “tasted” it a few times to make sure it’s good for my friends 😂 So so delicious!!!
Delicious!!! First time making it and it will be on repeat!! The dressing is addicting 🙂
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.
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.
My whole family LOVED this pasta salad! Definitely a 5-star recipe for taste and ease. Thank you @mamaknowsglutenfree!
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.
Didn’t have olives so I used chopped broccoli florets and added shredded carrot. Best pasta salad I’ve ever tasted! 👌🏼
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.
Hands down best pasta salad !
I love this salad! It’s easy and delicious.
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
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!
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
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!
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!
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😁
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!
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!
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!
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.
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.
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!
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!!
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!
what proteins would you recommend to add to the salad. pepperoni. salami etc..?
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.
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!
What would be a good substitute for the artichoke hearts. I love them but have some friends who don’t.
Hi Pat! You can use any vegetable in place of the artichoke hearts. I hope everyone enjoys the pasta salad!
Hi Audrey. Can you use fresh herbs and garlic and onion in the dressing recipe please? Thanks sounds delicious.
Hi Katherine! You can use fresh herbs in the dressing recipe. I hope you enjoy the pasta salad!
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?
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!
Great thanks! Do you recommend serving cold or at room temp?
Hi Anitra! I think it really depends on personal preference. I hope everyone enjoys it!
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!
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!
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.
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
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?
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!
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.
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.
This pasta salad was so amazing! I especially loved the dressing!
Thank you so much Jennifer!
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.
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.
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.
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.
That looks really yummy! We will have to give it a try!
Thank you! It’s so easy to make too!