Gluten Free Pasta Salad
This Gluten Free Pasta Salad has become my go-to when I want a pasta salad that holds its texture, is topped with that classic Italian pasta salad dressing, and is made with quick, simple ingredients. It is topped with fresh cherry tomatoes and mozzarella pearls, as well as spoonfuls of rich bruschetta. Forget the old days of bland, heavy and falling apart pasta salad. This one uses a gluten free pasta that won’t fall apart.
Ingredients
- 1 bag gluten-free pasta
- 1 jar bruschetta tomato mixture
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cup mozzarella pearls
- 2 –3 tbsp olive oil
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 –2 tsp garlic minced or garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup fresh basil chopped
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool it down.
- Add the cooled pasta to a large serving bowl.
- Add the bruschetta, cherry tomatoes, and mozzarella pearls.
- Drizzle in the olive oil and squeeze in the lemon juice.
- Top with the garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper.
- Toss everything together gently until well combined. You do not want to break any of the noodles.
- Top the fresh basil.
Notes
- Always rinse your gluten free pasta. Not only does it help remove any excess starch there might be, but it also will help your pasta not overcook.
- Always salt your water when boiling pasta. Always salt your water when making pasta. Pasta absorbs the water as it cooks and when the water is salted it is actually seasoning the pasta from the inside and infusing it with flavor.
- I like to cook my pasta for 1 minute less than the box recommends.
- I always rinse my pasta in cold water immediately after draining to stop the pasta from cooking and to prevent the pasta from sticking. I also recommend drizzling with a little olive oil immediately after rinsing to ensure the pasta doesn’t stick together.
- If you find the pasta salad is too dry, add 2-3 tbsp of extra dressing before serving. If your pasta tastes bland you can season with salt, pepper, garlic and oregano to your taste. Reserve 2-3 tbsp of dressing in case you need to freshen it up before serving so it is not too dry.
- Always let the pasta cool and rinse in cold water before mixing in the toppings to ensure the mozzarella cheese doesn’t melt.