You're going to love this Fresh Picnic Pasta Salad! Pasta salad has always been one of my favorite picnic meals because it’s delicious, portable, and easy to serve. Plus the bow-tie noodles are totally cute. It also happens to be one of my favorite ways to use fresh dill and oregano straight from the garden. The robust punch of these herbs blended with a creamy base really carries the dressing all the way to flavor town, while the par-cooked vegetables provide the perfect amount of crunch. Throw in super-ripe cherry tomatoes to give the salad a juicy sweetness and beautiful pop of color. It’s the perfect crowd-pleaser to bring to any party or picnic.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time7 minutesmins
Total Time17 minutesmins
Course: Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6
Calories: 783kcal
Author: Timothy Pakron
Ingredients
Creamy Oregano Dill Dressing
1½cupsvegan mayo
½cupfinely chopped fresh oregano
½cupfinely chopped fresh dill
3tablespoonsfresh lemon juice
2tablespoonswhite wine vinegar
2tablespoonsnutritional yeast
1clovegarlicminced, using a garlic press or microplane
½teaspoongranulated sugar
½teaspoonsea saltor to taste
½teaspoonfreshly cracked black pepperor to taste
1dashcayenne pepper
Pasta Salad
1poundbow-tie or squiggly pasta
3cupsbite-size pieces Broccoliniabout 1 bunch
2cupsbite-size pieces peeled carrots
½cupfrozen peas
1smallred bell pepperchopped
1largecucumberpeeled and chopped
½cupdiced red onion
2cupscherry or grape tomatoeshalved
½cuphigh-quality pitted green olivessliced
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Chopped fresh oregano and dillfor garnish
Instructions
Make the vegan dressing: In a bowl, whisk together the mayo, oregano, dill, lemon juice, vinegar, nutritional yeast, garlic, sugar, sea salt, black pepper, and cayenne.
Make the pasta salad: Fill a large bowl with ice and a little water to make an ice bath. This is to shock the vegetables, locking in their color and retaining their crunch, while also cooling down the pasta for the dressing.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for about 7 minutes. Try a piece. When it feels close to being done, needing about 1 more minute, toss in the Broccolini, carrots, and peas. Cook for 1 to 2 more minutes, until the pasta, is done. Drain and transfer to the ice bath.
Once cooled, transfer the pasta/vegetables back to the colander and drain thoroughly. Excess water will dilute the dressing, which is a no-go, people.
In a large bowl, toss together the dressing, drained pasta/ vegetable mixture, bell pepper, cucumber, red onion, tomatoes, and olives. Mix well. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste. Garnish with the fresh dill and oregano. Serve.
Notes
You can make this pasta salad the day before (or even two days before), as it keeps well in the fridge. Some might say it’s even better the next day. For serving at a picnic, try using Chinese-food takeout containers and chopsticks.