A vegan pesto pasta salad recipe that's easy, customizable, and requires minimal cooking for hot summer days. Plus, it won't go bad on you at the family barbecue!
Summer is here, and gatherings are back on. That means you're going to need to bring something to share with those family and friends you haven't seen so much of lately. And since it’s been a while, it better be good.
Pasta salad is a classic American side dish, and I have to say, I've never really cared for it. Many pasta salads are full of mayonnaise and other things I find weird, like black olives. Even worse is when someone dumps in a can of tuna. Then it all sits out in the sun at barbecue like a stinking fly beacon.
I'm finally ready to give pasta salad another chance. Of course, in a completely different way. For me, the key to a decent pasta salad (or most cooking, really) is incorporating freshness, texture, and flavor. Because pasta is bland on its own, you need to build in components with character and interest.
If you're looking for other salad ideas, check out my Arugula and Spinach Salad with Grilled Chicken, Broiled Shrimp and Citrus Salad, and Bok Choy with Tofu Salad. And for another great vegetarian dish, try Orange Pan Fried Tempeh with Asparagus.
🧅 Key Ingredients
- red onion and bell pepper for fresh vegetables
- sundried tomatoes for flavor and complexity
- chickpeas for protein and substance
- arugula, cashews, nutritional yeast, and garlic for making the pesto
- tofu and spices for making a vegan Feta cheese
🔪 Instructions
Alright, so the thing about the feta, and it's totally optional, is that it's made of tofu. I made fake-out feta using tofu. I like this idea because it makes this dish dairy-free, and when you're bringing something to a party, you never know everyone's diet preferences. For me, it's just easier to assume someone can't have dairy or can't have gluten. If gluten is a concern, it's easy to use gluten-free pasta here, too.
The feta is made by cutting tofu into small pieces or crumbles and tossing it in a mix of cider vinegar, salt, nutritional yeast, onion powder, oil, and oregano. You let it sit in the fridge to marinate for a while to acquire that salty, briny flavor.
I actually brought this vegan pesto pasta salad to a family get-together a few weeks ago, where no one is vegan, and surprisingly, there were no comments about the tofu feta. Either they knew and didn't care (doubt it), or they couldn't tell the difference.
And you know what? It's delicious. I can certainly tell it's not feta, but it's something I would eat regardless. You only need about half of the feta that the recipe makes, so you can either add more or save the rest for another use. It’s excellent on a garden salad or added to tacos.
📖 Substitutions
Feta: If you're not worried about keeping it vegan pasta salad, skip the part about using tofu and use fresh feta instead. My favorite is the whole milk feta from Maplebrook Farm. I love the tang of the salty brine and how it perfectly crumbles.
Cheese: You’ll notice I also cut the cheese from the pesto, though you can easily replace the nutritional yeast with Parmesan.
Nuts: If you have nuts aside from cashews that you’d like to use, such as walnuts, pecans, or even sunflower seeds, go for it.
Pesto Greens: You can replace the arugula with basil, parsley, mint, spinach, kale, or a mix of any greens.
🥗 Serving Options
This pasta salad could easily make a main dish for four, but as a side dish, it would go well with these recipes:
🥡 Storage
You can put this pesto pasta salad in the fridge, where it will keep for up to four days. If making in advance, you can wait to add the feta until right before serving to keep it from getting too crumbled.
Print📖 Recipe
Vegan Pesto Pasta Salad
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings as a side 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A pesto pasta salad recipe that checks all the boxes. It's easy, customizable, and won't go bad on you if it sits out at the family barbecue.
Ingredients
for the feta:
- 1 pack extra firm tofu
- 2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
for the pesto:
- 2 cups arugula
- ¼ cup cashews
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
for assembling the salad:
- ½ pound of elbows, shells, penne, or other pasta
- 1 can chickpeas
- 1 small red onion
- 1 bell pepper
- ⅓ cup sundried tomatoes
Instructions
Start with the feta. Drain the tofu, cut it into ¼ inch thick slices, and spread them out on a clean kitchen towel. Place another towel on top, then something heavy like a cast iron pan, and let the tofu drain while you prep the rest of the recipe. This will allow the tofu to absorb more flavor.
Combine the remaining feta ingredients in a container or dish. When you’ve let the tofu drain for hopefully at least 15 minutes, cut the slices into small cubes (however big you prefer is fine), then toss them into the mixture to coat. Put this in the fridge to meld for 30 minutes or longer.
Make the pesto by adding all of the pesto ingredients, aside from the oil, to a blender or food processor. Pulse a few times to chop up the ingredients, then stream in the olive oil until smooth. If it’s not turning smooth, add some more oil or even just a tablespoon or two of water.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a few pinches of salt, then add the pasta and cook according to the package. Drain when al dente. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Chop the red onion, pepper, and tomatoes into bite-sized pieces.
Put the salad together by combining the pasta, vegetables, half of the feta, and the pesto in a large bowl. Stir to coat everything in the pesto. Taste and salt, if needed. Add more feta, if you prefer. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Notes
If you have the time, let the salad sit in the fridge for an hour or more for the flavors to meld.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
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