Indulge in a delicious creamy vegetable pasta salad that's perfect for picnics, summer parties, potlucks, or as a simple summer meal. This nutritious salad is packed with fresh veggies and a creamy yogurt mustard dressing.
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The best part of this salad is that it is not made with mayonnaise but yogurt. Yogurt mustard sauce imparts a creamy texture and lovely taste to the salad.
This cold pasta salad is the best option on hot summer days when you crave something cold but don't want to spend hours in the kitchen preparing meals.
Planning it for a party or adding it to your weekly meal planner? Prep the dressing and veggies and refrigerate them separately. It just takes ten minutes to put together on the day you want to serve. Just cook the pasta and combine it with the chopped vegetables and dressing.
Why we love this cold salad?
Prepared without mayonnaise
Healthy and nutritious
It can be customised with various vegetables, spices, herbs and pasta.
Ingredients
- For Dressing: Plain yogurt, salt, red chilli flakes, oregano, dijon mustard, olive oil and maple syrup.
- Vegetables and Herbs: Red onion, cucumber, green capsicum, frozen corn, carrot and fresh parsley.
- Pasta: I have used rotini pasta but you can use other pasta varieties. Check the "Substitutions and Variations" section for alternative options.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Step 1: Cook the pasta in boiling salt water until al dente.
Step 2: Drain and rinse under cold water to cool it down and stop the cooking process. Set aside.
Step 3: While the pasta cooks, prepare all the vegetables by washing, peeling and chopping as needed.
Step 4: In a medium bowl, whisk together yogurt, dijon mustard, maple syrup, salt, chilli flakes and oregano.
Step 5: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked and cooled pasta, red onion, cucumber, green bell pepper, carrots, corn and fresh parsley.
Step 6: Pour the creamy dressing over the pasta and vegetables.
Toss everything together until well coated. Keep it in the fridge at least for 30 minutes or until ready to serve.
Substitutions and Variations
Sweetener: You could use honey or agave syrup instead of maple syrup.
Vegetables: Try more vegetables such as cherry tomatoes, mixed bell peppers, olives or steamed broccoli.
Pasta: Choose for pasta shapes like rotini, fusilli, or penne that have nooks and crannies to hold onto the dressing and vegetables.
Storage
Store the salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will stay good for up to 3 days.
If the salad looks dry after being stored, freshen it up with a bit more dressing before serving.
Tips and Tricks
Cook Al Dente: Cook the pasta just until al dente. Overcooking will make the pasta too soft and it might break apart when mixed with the other ingredients.
Chill Pasta Salad: Allow the salad to chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to let the flavours meld together.
Properly Drained Pasta: Ensure pasta is well-drained and slightly cooled before mixing with vegetables and dressing.
Cold Water: Run boiled pasta under cold running water in a colander to prevent it from cooking further and sticking to each other.
Related
Looking for more summer salad recipes? Try these:
Pairing
KEEP IN TOUCH
Do let me know if you try this summer creamy vegetable pasta salad recipe. If you like this recipe kindly consider rating it using stars in the comment section or on the recipe card to help more people find this recipe online. You can stay up to date by following me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or subscribing to my Youtube channel. Or why not subscribe to my blog and get simple recipes straight to your inbox?
📖 Recipe Card
Creamy Vegetable Pasta Salad
Ingredients
1 Cup = 250ml ; 1 Tablespoon = 15ml ; 1 Teaspoon = 5ml
For Dressing
- ½ Cup Yogurt
- 1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 Teaspoon Maple Syrup adjust to suit your taste
- Salt as required
- ½ Teaspoon Red Chilli Flakes adjust to suit your taste
- ½ Teaspoon Oregano
- ½ Tablespoon Olive Oil
For Salad
- 1 Cup (or) 140 gms Pasta
- ⅓ Cup Red Onion peel and chop finely
- ¼ Cup Green Bell Pepper/Capsicum wash, deseeds and chop finely
- ¼ Cup Cucumber wash and chop finely
- ¼ Cup Frozen Corn thaw
- ⅓ Cup Carrot wash, peel, trim edges and chop finely
- 5-6 sprigs Fresh Parsley wash and chop finely
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in boiling salt water until al dente.1 Cup (or) 140 gms Pasta
- Drain and rinse under cold water to cool it down and stop the cooking process. Set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, prepare all the vegetables by washing, peeling and chopping as needed.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together yogurt, dijon mustard, maple syrup, olive oil, salt, chilli flakes and oregano.½ Cup Yogurt, 1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard, 1 Teaspoon Maple Syrup, Salt, ½ Teaspoon Red Chilli Flakes, ½ Teaspoon Oregano, ½ Tablespoon Olive Oil
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked and cooled pasta, red onion, cucumber, green bell pepper, carrots, corn and fresh parsley.⅓ Cup Red Onion, ¼ Cup Green Bell Pepper/Capsicum, ¼ Cup Cucumber, ¼ Cup Frozen Corn, ⅓ Cup Carrot, 5-6 sprigs Fresh Parsley
- Pour the creamy dressing over the pasta and vegetables.
- Toss everything together until well coated. Serve it immediately or keep it in fridge until ready to eat.
Notes
Nutrition
Welcome to Flavours Treat. I share vegetarian recipes made with wholesome, mostly fresh ingredients. Every recipe has easy-to-follow instructions with process shots (detailed step-wise pictures), a short video and lots of tips to help your cooking journey. Read more
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