No heavy mayo necessary for this pasta salad! Make the perfect pasta salad without mayo for your next summer cookout.
I love easy lunches on hot summer days. A pot of pasta doesn't heat up the kitchen too bad and can even be made ahead. A one-dish meal with protein, fat, and carbs? Say no more!
I often serve this up with bread and butter for the kids, or a thick slice of cheese. You can eat it on its own or add it to your summer cookout spread, maybe with some incredible BBQ chicken.
This is also one of my favourite ways to clean out the pantry and fridge. Got odds and ends of pasta? Figure out the cooking times and use them up. Hard meats in the fridge? Tiny bits and bobs of cheese? Throw them in, too.
Key Ingredients
Pasta - Any shape works here. Short cuts are typical as they are bite-sized. Tricolor is also really popular!
Cucumber - If you have English or Persian they have thinner skin and fewer seeds. It's up to you if you wish to peel if the skin is tough.
Pepper - I like red, yellow, or orange as they are sweeter than green (which is technically unripe!).
Meat - Any type of salami or cured meat is great here.
Cheese - I prefer grated, such as a Parmesan or Stilton. You can also use chunks of cheese if you like.
Dressing - You can use a bottle if in a rush or you have a favourite. Otherwise it's super easy to mix up your own quick vinaigrette.
How to Make Pasta Salad Without Mayo
***See recipe card below for precise measurements and instructions.***
Step 1: Cook pasta according to package, then rinse in cool water and add a little oil to keep from sticking.
Step 2: Cut the cucumber into lengthwise quarters, then dice.
Step 3: Cut off ends of pepper, remove seeds. Then slice and dice.
Step 4: Cut salami into bite-sized chunks. Combine everything in a large bowl.
Step 5: Whisk dressing in a small bowl. Pour over pasta salad and stir to coat.
Tips and Tricks
- Cook until juuuuust al dente, especially if letting rest a bit before eating, otherwise your noodles will be soggy.
- Use gluten-free pasta and skip the cheese and you have made an allergy-friendly salad!
- Make sure and dice things bite-sized, especially if kids will be eating.
- Personalize with what's left in the fridge. We often have bear pepperoni from our butcher, which goes well with cheddar cubes. Throw it all in!
FAQs
This is a meal on its own with meat, veg, and cheese. Add the fat from the dressing and it's a perfectly acceptable meal! I love a small bowl on the porch with a jar of tea. You can serve immediately or pop in the fridge if making ahead. This will last to the next day or so in the fridge, but it will tend to get a bit soggy. We have no trouble eating the entire recipe at once.
Short cuts like small shells, rotini, or elbows. You can combine shapes as well, just add them to the pot at different times if necessary. We love Tinkyada rice noodles to keep things gluten-free, but any pasta at all will work. Pick up the tri-color versions for even more fun!
It's so easy to customize this. Since we use gluten-free pasta it's already got that covered. If you skip the cheese in the dressing it will also be dairy-free, and there aren't any nuts. Plus without mayo there's no eggs so everything is covered!
Photos by Dante from Shire by the Sea
More Summer Favourites
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No Mayo Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups pasta salad noodles
- 1 bell pepper any colour
- 1 cucumber
- Cold salami as much as you feel like adding
Dressing:
- ⅔ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup wine vinegar or vinegar of choice
- 2 - 3 tablespoons grated cheese of choice Parmesan or Stilton recommended
- 1 ½ tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Boil 8 cups of salted water in large pot; add pasta when boiling. Cook per packages directions until al dente. Run under cold water in strainer when complete. Drain water thoroughly. Pour into a large pasta bowl, add a splash of oil and mix in to prevent sticking
- While pasta is still cooking, in a small bowl, combine all dressing ingredients and whisk thoroughly.
- Quarter cucumber by length. Dice into small pieces and add to pasta.
- Slice and clean pepper, cut into small pieces and add to pasta.
- Slice salami into thin slices then quarter into smaller pieces; add to pasta.
- Stir gently to combine ingredients.
- Add dressing to bowl and stir to coat.
- Dish up immediately, cool or pack for a picnic.
Notes
- The salad is light, fresh and tasty and will appease most palates. Add a splash of other salad dressings if that is your thing.
- Try switching things up such as using pepperoni and cheddar!
Esther
What can I use in place of the salami?
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You could use any cured meat that you like...ham, bacon...