How To Make Gluten-Free Pasta Salad (Best Recipe)

Learn how to make the best gluten-free pasta salad with this easy and flavorful recipe! With these expert tips you will learn how to prevent mushy gluten-free pasta, the ideal way to store and serve, along with a richly flavorful recipe for Italian pasta salad with parmesan dressing and delicious add-ins, like tomatoes, artichoke hearts, olives, salami, and mozzarella. This unique and flavorful cold pasta salad is guaranteed to be devoured quickly at BBQs and potlucks!

Gluten-Free Pasta Salad – Best Tips!

When making a recipe for gluten-free pasta salad you may be tempted to just swap out your favorite GF pasta in a traditional recipe. Why this will certainly get the job done, the end result won’t live up to expectations!

Since GF starches are different, using some simple tricks turns disappointing attempts into a success! Now you can make this gluten-free Italian pasta salad recipe taste just as good as a traditional version!

Here are some expert tips consider, which also work well for making creamy gluten-free macaroni salad:

1. Unlike with regular pasta, when using gluten free pasta leave the water unsalted. GF pasta soaks up too much of the salt while boiling and can leave your pasta much more salty than you may like.
2. For best texture, cook the pasta to just al dente. Part of what makes a good pasta salad is when the noodles remain firm. Nobody wants a mushy pasta salad!
3. To help keep your pasta al dente, rinse the noodles with cold water after pouring them into the colander. This will stop the pasta from further cooking.
4. My favorite gluten free pasta is Barilla. You can use gluten-free rotini, bowties, penne, or macaroni noodles.
5. Gluten-free pasta salad is best served at room temperature. GF pasta gets harder upon refrigeration, so make sure you set out your salad 30-45 minutes before serving to take the chill off. Since the dressing does not contain mayo, it can sit out longer.

This cold pasta salad recipe is loaded with fresh veggies, making it the perfect dish for a hot summer’s day, a picnic, or holidays like Memorial Day or 4th of July. Just like other favorites, gluten-free potato salad or gluten-free baked beans, they are classic dishes all enjoy!

Below I share how to make an easy gluten-free pasta salad recipe, along with other ingredient suggestions, the best way to serve it for optimal texture, and the best gluten-free sides to pair with it!

Ingredient Notes

Other than the pasta, the other ingredients are suggested additions to give it a classic Italian flavor. However, many adaptations are possible, such as making it vegetarian without the salami, or omitting any ingredients you don’t care for.

Any of the additions, besides the pasta, may be left out without affecting the recipe. The additions of artichoke hearts, fresh mozzarella, black olives, and tomatoes really bring out the Italian dressing flavor, but if you don’t prefer the taste of something, leave it out!

As for the dressing, the sun dried tomatoes have a double duty of adding flavor to the salad itself, and flavoring the dressing. Be sure to get Italian sun dried tomatoes packed in oil because some of the reserve oil is used to flavor the dressing.

best gluten-free pasta to use

When making a gluten-free pasta salad recipe, the type of pasta really does matter. Use a short, dried GF pasta to trap some of the salad dressing in each bite. Luckily, there are several options right at your local supermarket! Choose from gluten-free rotini, penne, bowtie, or even macaroni.

My preferred brand to use is Barilla gluten-free, but there are some important tips to remember with all gluten-free pasta salad recipes!

1. Leave the boiling water unsalted and instead season the salad. GF starches soak up salt a lot more than wheat pasta.
2. Cook the pasta to just al dente and then rinse in cold water to stop the cooking.
3. Although you’ll want to refrigerate for at least an hour to let the flavors blend, it is best served at room temperature. Cold GF pasta will have more of a “bite” to it, so you’ll want it to set out to soften the texture. (Same happens with gluten-free bread recipes!)

How to Make gluten-free pasta salad

1. Begin by boiling the gluten-free pasta to just al dente. Once it is done cooking, pour it in a colander and rinse with cold water to stop cooking.
2. Combine the cooked pasta with the additional ingredients. At this point, you may omit any add-ins out or make additions!
3. Pour all the dressing ingredients in a glass jar and shake to combine. Alternatively, pour into a small bowl and whisk to combine.
4. Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and toss to combine. Cover securely and refrigerate 1-24 hours. Let it sit at room temperature for 3-45 minutes before serving.

Dairy-free modification

Making a dairy-free gluten-free pasta salad is very simple. All you need to do is eliminate the fresh mozzarella, or use a dairy-free cheese alternative. When making the homemade Italian dressing, skip the Parmesan cheese, or replace it with 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast.

storage and making in advance

A cold salad is a wonderful dish to make ahead, and it even tastes better if you let it sit up to overnight before serving. However, while traditional recipes will keep in the fridge 5-7 days, I don’t recommend this for gluten-free recipes.

You may make the salad up to 24 hours before serving. When it’s time to serve, let it sit out for 30-45 minutes, stirring a couple times, so it comes to room temp. This softens the bite of the pasta.

Also, leaving the tomatoes uncut helps persevere this pasta salad recipe for longer. Otherwise the juice from the tomatoes make the salad watery upon sitting.

What Else can be added?

This adaptable recipe is great for adding additional flavors or proteins. In fact, leftovers are great are with grilled meats, such as chicken or fish!

• Tuna
• Chicken
• Pepperoni
• Red, yellow or orange peppers
• Jalapeno peppers for a kick!
• Pepperoncini
• Sunflower seeds
• Plant-based meat substitute
• Prosciutto
• Cucumber
• Green onion

Alternative flavor combinations

This GF recipe can be used to make many varieties of pasta salad. The hard part is going to be choosing your favorite!

Add the following ingredients to your pasta and toss in the dressing to make various pasta salad recipes:

• Caprese – mozzarella, basil and tomato
• Spinach sun dried tomato – fresh basil, spinach, sun dried tomatoes, Parmesan cheese
• Feta – feta, sun dried tomatoes, Kalamata olives, tomatoes
• Greek – feta, tomato, Kalamata olives, red onion, red bell pepper, cucumber
• Tuscan – sun dried tomato, red bell pepper, olives, fresh basil, spinach, Parmesan cheese

What Else Goes with Pasta Salad?

• Overnight 7 Layer Salad
• Frozen Fruit Salad
• Grilled Zucchini
• Marinated Green Bean Salad

Click here to see the
step-by-step web story instructions for this recipe!

SAVE THIS recipe for gluten-free pasta salad TO YOUR PINTEREST BOARD!

Let’s be friends on Pinterest! I’m always sharing great recipes!

This post contains affiliate links. My opinions are always my own. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, I make a small commission – at no cost to you. Read full disclosure policy here.