This gluten free pasta salad is made with tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, cucumbers, olives, artichokes, red onion, fresh basil, and a homemade Italian dressing. It is cold, fresh, and easy to make ahead for summer dinners, picnics, potlucks, and backyard cookouts.
Why We Love This Salad
This is the kind of salad you can make in the morning and serve later in the day. It has fresh tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, basil, olives, cucumbers, and artichokes tossed with a light Italian dressing.
It is a good side dish for grilled chicken, steak, shrimp, or fish. It also works well for lunch because it holds up in the refrigerator and tastes better after the flavors have time to come together.
I like using mozzarella pearls because they are already bite-size and easy to toss through the salad. If you cannot find them, dice a block of fresh mozzarella or use small bocconcini.
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- Gluten-free fusilli pasta
- Mozzarella pearls
- Cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
- Cucumber
- Marinated artichoke hearts
- Black olives
- Red onion or scallions
- Fresh basil
For the Dressing
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Red wine vinegar
- Fresh lemon juice
- Grated red onion
- Garlic
- Italian seasoning
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
See recipe card below for quantities.
Best Gluten-Free Pasta for Pasta Salad
For pasta salad, I like gluten-free fusilli because the twists hold onto the dressing. Penne, rotini, and elbows also work well.
Jovial brown rice pasta and Andean Dream quinoa pasta are two good choices. Both have a nice texture and do not fall apart easily when tossed with dressing.
Cook the pasta until it is tender, not firm. Pasta salad is served cold, and gluten-free pasta firms up as it chills. If you cook it only to al dente, it may taste too hard later.
What Are Mozzarella Pearls?
Mozzarella pearls are tiny balls of fresh mozzarella. They are soft, mild, and creamy, and they are just the right size for pasta salad.
You may also see small mozzarella balls called bocconcini. Bocconcini are a little bigger than pearls, but they work in this recipe too. If you cannot find either one, buy fresh mozzarella and cut it into small pieces.
How To Make Gluten Free Pasta Salad
Cook the pasta according to the package directions, but cook it until tender. Drain the pasta and rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking.
Add the pasta to a large mixing bowl and toss it with a small spoonful of olive oil so it does not stick together.
In a jar, combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, grated red onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Shake until the dressing is combined.
Add the tomatoes, cucumber, mozzarella, olives, artichokes, red onion, and basil to the bowl with the pasta.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. Taste and add more salt, pepper, lemon juice, or olive oil as needed.
Cover and chill until ready to serve. Stir again before serving.
Tips for the Best Gluten Free Pasta Salad
- Cook the pasta a little past al dente. Gluten-free pasta gets firmer when cold, so it should be fully tender before you chill it.
- Rinse the pasta with cold water after cooking. This helps stop the cooking and keeps the pasta from sticking together.
- Dress the salad while the pasta is cool, but not bone dry. A little moisture helps the dressing coat the pasta.
- Save a little dressing for later. Pasta salad absorbs dressing as it sits, especially gluten-free pasta. Stir in a splash of olive oil or extra dressing before serving if it looks dry.
- Use firm vegetables. Cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, onions, and artichokes work well. Avoid watery vegetables that will make the salad soggy.
Make Ahead
You can make this pasta salad up to one day ahead. For the best texture, make the salad, cover it, and refrigerate it. Before serving, stir it well and add a little olive oil, lemon juice, or extra dressing if needed.
If you are making this for a party, add the fresh basil shortly before serving so it stays green and fresh.
Serving Suggestions
This pasta salad goes well with grilled chicken, shrimp, steak, burgers, and fish. It is also nice with simple summer dinners when you want a cold side dish ready in the refrigerator.
Serve it with:
Storage
Store gluten free pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Stir before serving. If the pasta has absorbed too much dressing, add a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice to loosen it up.
Freezing is not recommended.
Variations
- Add roasted red peppers for extra color and sweetness.
- Use scallions instead of red onion for a milder flavor.
- Add chickpeas if you want more protein.
- Use parsley instead of basil if that is what you have.
- Add diced zucchini, bell peppers, or celery for more crunch.
- Use feta instead of mozzarella for a sharper flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. This pasta salad can be made up to one day ahead. Stir it before serving and add a little olive oil or extra dressing if the pasta looks dry.
Gluten-free pasta can firm up after it cools in the refrigerator. Cook it until tender, rinse it with cold water, and toss it with enough dressing so it stays moist.
Fusilli, rotini, penne, and elbows are good choices because they hold dressing well. Jovial brown rice pasta and Andean Dream quinoa pasta both work well in cold pasta salad.
Yes. If you do not need the recipe to be gluten-free, you can use regular fusilli, rotini, or penne.
Yes. Bocconcini are a little larger than mozzarella pearls, but they work well. You can leave them whole if they are small or cut them in half.
Yes. Grilled chicken, cooked shrimp, or leftover rotisserie chicken can turn this into a main dish.
Gluten Free Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Pasta Salad
- 12 ounces gluten-free fusilli rotini, or penne pasta
- 1 cup mozzarella pearls
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes halved
- 1 cup cucumber diced
- ½ cup marinated artichoke hearts drained and chopped
- ½ cup black olives sliced or whole
- ¼ cup red onion thinly sliced or finely diced
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves sliced
Italian Dressing
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon grated red onion
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the gluten-free pasta according to the package directions until tender. For pasta salad, cook it a little past al dente so it does not get too firm once chilled.
- Drain the pasta and rinse it under cold water. Add it to a large mixing bowl and toss with a small drizzle of olive oil to keep it from sticking.
- In a small jar or bowl, combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, grated red onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Shake or whisk until combined.
- Add the mozzarella pearls, tomatoes, cucumber, artichokes, olives, red onion, and basil to the bowl with the pasta.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt, pepper, lemon juice, or olive oil if needed.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Stir again before serving.
Cecile says
My family loved this!