Gluten-free antipasto salad blows all other pasta salads away

Make your pasta salad taste like antipasto by loading it with fresh summer veggies, salty Italian meats and cheese.

If you’re trying to cut out gluten or just want to try something new, this is a great pasta salad to get you started. Try swapping plain white pasta for healthy quinoa pasta — there’s no flour and no gluten.

Once the quinoa pasta was cooked, I tossed it with one of my favorite Italian dressings, some extra herbs and lots of veggies. Slice up nitrate-free Italian meats and either fresh mozzarella or diced feta to give this dish a little bit of salty flavor that’s so typical of antipasto.

This salad is great made ahead of time, packs easily and is perfect for road trips, pool parties or as a tasty summer side dish.

Gluten-free antipasto pasta salad recipe

Gluten-free quinoa pasta tossed in Italian dressing with vegetables and Italian meats and cheese tastes just like an antipasto platter. Tip: To make this ahead of time, prepare as directed, but don’t toss with the dressing until ready to serve.

Serves 6-8

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 10 minutes | Total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 (16 ounce) box quinoa pasta
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup Italian salad dressing (plus extra if desired)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasonings
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup diced cucumbers
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions
• 1/2 cup sliced black olives
• 1/2 diced fresh mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 pound Italian meats (like salami, capicola, ham), diced (I used genoa salami)
• Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. Add the quinoa pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or as directed on the package. Drain the pasta, and rinse it under cool water.
3. To a bowl, add the cooked pasta along with the olive oil, Italian dressing and dried Italian seasonings. Mix well.
4. Add the tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, mozzarella and diced deli meats.
5. Mix the salad very well, and garnish with fresh basil. Divide among serving plates, and enjoy.

More gluten-free pasta recipes

Gluten-free lemon pesto pasta salad
Gluten-free BLT pasta salad
Fresh zucchini noodle manicotti