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    Home » Recipes » Gluten Free

    June 28, 2021

    Cold Asparagus Pasta Salad Recipe

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    Cold pasta salad with asparagus, gluten free rotini, red cherry tomatoes, black olives, gouda cheese, salami, olive oil and Italian seasonings! Such a delicious, quick and easy summertime classic. Ready in 30 minutes or less, this is the perfect side to serve at (or bring to) any outdoor event.

    Pasta salad with asparagus in a glass bowl.
    Pasta Salad With Asparagus

    *Disclaimer: This article may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!

    When the weather heats up and the sun is shining, it's fun to get out of the house and into the backyard! Tis the season for cookouts, barbeques, picnics and pool parties.

    If you're ready to fire up the grill and need more side dish inspo, I've got you covered.

    More cookout sides:

    • Chips & Homemade Guacamole
    • Egg Salad With Greek Yogurt
    • Chicken Salad With Greek Yogurt
    • Cucumber And Onion Salad
    • Watermelon Mint & Feta Salad
    • Fruit Salad With Whipped Cream
    Jump to:
    • More cookout sides:
    • Ingredients
    • How to make pasta salad - a quick overview!
    • Handy tips:
    • Step By Step Photos
    • Variations
    • Cold Asparagus Pasta Salad Recipe

    Ingredients

    1. Gluten free rotini: the brand linked here is the one I use. It's made from chickpeas! I'm a huge fan and can't taste much difference at all. You can, of course, use regular pasta if you're not worried about making this recipe gluten free.
    2. Fresh asparagus: extra delicious and cheap in the spring and summer. It's always great to buy fruits and veggies when they're in season.
    3. Cherry tomatoes: bright and sweet!
    4. Gouda cheese cubes: feel free to add or substitute your favorite type of cheese: cheddar, Colby jack, feta or pepper jack are some other tasty options.
    5. Salami: pepperoni also works!
    6. Black olives: add nice color and texture to your salad.
    7. Extra virgin olive oil: helps seasonings stick to rotini and veggies.
    8. Salt, pepper & Italian seasonings: simple additions that add a lot of flavor!
    Asparagus pasta salad ingredients arranged on a countertop with text overlay labels.
    Ingredients

    How to make pasta salad - a quick overview!

    Keep scrolling for complete recipe and instructions. We’ll start here with a super quick rundown!

    • Place a large pot of salted, HOT water on the stovetop and set heat to high.
    • While waiting for water to boil, remove ends from asparagus and chop into pieces.
    • Cook pasta according to instructions on package. With three minutes remaining, add asparagus to the pot.
    • Drain pasta and asparagus, rinse with cold water and place in a large mixing bowl.
    • Dice onion, quarter salami and cut tomatoes in half. Add all three to the bowl along with cubed cheese and olives.
    • Mix seasonings and oil together and stir into salad until well incorporated.
    • Eat salad right away or chill.
    • Plate and enjoy!

    Handy tips:

    When purchasing groceries for this recipe, look for cheese that is already cut into cubes to save yourself some time! Hot tip: cheese sticks are super easy to cut down into cubes.

    Feel free to get creative with this recipe and try various mix-ins. Maybe add different types of veggies or try another type/shape of noodle. Pasta salad is very flexible.

    Many pasta salad recipes use Italian dressing. Here, I'm opting for a combination of olive oil and Italian seasonings, but you can definitely use dressing if you prefer. I would stir in 3-4 tablespoons and see how it tastes, then and add more if desired!

    Step By Step Photos

    • Asparagus pasta salad ingredients arranged on a white countertop.
    • Asparagus with ends removed piled on a white cutting board.
    • Chopped asparagus in a glass mixing bowl.
    • Pasta salad ingredients measured into a large, glass mixing bowl.
    • Pasta salad in a glass bowl.

    Variations

    Don't be afraid to flex your creativity muscles when it comes to this recipe! You can try all different kinds of mix-ins. Here are some ideas:

    • Try a different protein like grilled chicken, shrimp, lobster, salmon or crab.
    • Or, leave the meat out for a vegetarian version of this dish!
    • Add different veggies. Green beans, diced bell peppers, jalapenos, edamame, corn, peas, or radishes would all be delicious. Use your favorites!
    • Use a different kind of pasta like orzo or bow tie.
    • Drizzle some fresh lemon juice on top of your salad to brighten it up.

    Pin it for later!

    Pasta salad in a glass bowl with text overlay for Pinterest.
    Pasta salad in a glass bowl.
    Print Recipe
    5 from 2 votes

    Cold Asparagus Pasta Salad Recipe

    Pasta salad with gluten free rotini, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, gouda cheese, salami, olive oil and seasonings! Such a delicious, quick and easy summertime classic. Ready in 25 minutes or less, this is the perfect salad to serve at (or bring to) a summer celebration.
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time8 mins
    Total Time28 mins
    Course: Salad, Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: 4th Of July Foods, Barbeque Sides, Cookout Sides, Gluten Free Pasta Salad, Healthy Sides, Pasta Salad With Asparagus, Summer Salad
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 445kcal

    Ingredients

    • 8 oz gluten free rotini *see note below
    • 1 bunch asparagus
    • 2 tablespoons diced red onion
    • 4 oz. package thin sliced salami *pepperoni will also work
    • 10 oz. package cherry tomatoes
    • 10 oz. package cubed gouda cheese *see note below
    • 1 2.25 oz. can sliced olives *drained
    • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
    • 2 teaspoons Italian seasonings
    • ¾ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon pepper

    Recipe notes:

    Gluten free rotini: I prefer the Banza brand (see link). It's made from chickpeas and tastes very similar to wheat pasta in my opinion (nutrition info below is calculated using this pasta)!
    Cubed gouda cheese: feel free to substitute your favorite type of cheese! When purchasing groceries for this recipe, look for cheese that is already cubed to save yourself some time. Cheese sticks are super easy to cut down into cubes.

    Instructions

    • Place a large pot of salted, HOT water on the stovetop and set heat to high.
    • While waiting for water to boil, remove woody ends from asparagus and chop down into small, bite size pieces.
    • Add pasta to boiling water, reduce heat and set a timer according to instructions on packaging. With three minutes remaining, add asparagus to the pot.
    • Drain pasta and asparagus, rinse with cold water and place in a large mixing bowl.
    • Dice red onion, quarter salami and cut tomatoes in half. Add all three to the bowl along with cubed cheese and drained black olives.
    • Mix seasonings and olive oil together and stir into pasta salad ingredients until well incorporated.
    • Eat your salad right away or cover with plastic wrap and chill.
    • Plate and enjoy!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1/6th of recipe | Sugar: 5.5g | Fiber: 6g | Calories: 445kcal | Fat: 26.5g | Protein: 28g | Carbohydrates: 30.5g
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    Comments

    1. Christy Little says

      July 24, 2021 at 12:38 pm

      This looks so yummy and perfect for our upcoming beach trip. Going to pair it with a piece of grilled fish!

      Reply
      • stacey_olson says

        July 24, 2021 at 12:39 pm

        Oh yes! It would be PERFECT with grilled fish. Yum!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Stacey! I love developing quick, healthy, real food recipes to share with you and your family. Eating nutritious food doesn't have to mean heaps of time in the kitchen, let me show you!

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