Dairy Free Summer Pasta Salad
This is the kind of dish that makes a summer spread look effortless — loaded with halved cherry tomatoes, crisp cucumber, red bell pepper, briny Kalamata olives, and savory strips of salami, all tossed with rotini in a punchy red wine vinaigrette. The dressing comes together in minutes with olive oil, Dijon mustard, dried oregano, and garlic powder, and it clings beautifully to every twist of pasta after a quick rest in the fridge. Pasta salads are one of those recipes where dairy sneaks in through creamy dressings or hidden cheese, but this one is built entirely around a bold, herb-forward vinaigrette — no substitutions needed, nothing left out. Chilling it for at least 30 minutes is the move that takes it from good to great, giving the pasta time to soak up all that tangy, garlicky flavor before you finish it with torn fresh basil. It serves six, which makes it perfect for a backyard cookout, a potluck, or a week of easy lunches straight from the fridge. The whole thing is genuinely crowd-pleasing — the kind of recipe where people ask for it before they even think to ask what's in it.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
For the salad
- 12 oz rotini or fusilli pasta
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 medium english cucumber, diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
- ½ cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
- 3 oz salami, sliced into thin strips
- ¼ cup red onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, torn
For the vinaigrette
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- ⅔ cup olive oil
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente, tender with a slight resistance at the center. Drain through a colander, then toss immediately with 1 tbsp olive oil to prevent sticking. Spread on a sheet pan or leave in the colander to cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
- 2
While the pasta cools, whisk together the red wine vinegar, 2/3 cup olive oil, Dijon mustard, dried oregano, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes (if using) in a small bowl until the dressing is emulsified and slightly thickened.
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