How long does this keep?

Enjoy this salad when prepared or save leftovers to use for cold prep lunches. Place leftover pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days . The dressing will become less creamy/saucy when chilled in the fridge after a few days, but the pasta will still remain flavorful. You can toss your pasta salad again with 1-2 tablespoons of water to help loosen it up again before serving.

Is vegan pasta salad healthy?

This pasta salad has a creamy dressing made with tahini in place of mayonnaise. Using tahini gives you some extra iron, calcium and vitamin E. By replacing with a plant based fat, you are also reducing the amount of saturated fat normally found in other creamy pasta salad dishes.

Can you make pasta salad gluten-free?

Yes. Just swap out the wheat-based pasta for your favorite gluten-free option. And some gluten-free pasta like bean-based ones can offer even more protein to the final dish.

Is this recipe nut-free?

It will ultimately depend on the type of vegan yogurt you use. You can always try using an unsweetened plain soy-based yogurt as an option.

Why does my pasta salad taste bland?

Two things can impact this. The first is if you salted your pasta water enough. Most sources recommend salting your water to the point that it tastes as salty as the sea. It might seem like a lot, but your pasta will only absorb the amount of salt it needs and the rest of the salt will be discarded when you drain the pasta.

Chickpea Pasta Salad with Creamy Tahini Dressing

Description

This creamy chickpea pasta salad is coated in a delicious lemon tahini sauce and super easy to make for entertaining or a filling make ahead lunch.

Ingredients

Scale

Roasted Chickpeas

1, 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp onion powder

Pasta Salad Base

1 lb dry pasta, I like orecchiette or baby shell pasta
3 Persian cucumbers, sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
Fresh cracked pepper to taste

Tahini Dressing

1/4 cup good quality tahini
1/4 cup plain unsweetened vegan yogurt
2 tsp Dijon mustard
Juice of one large lemon, about 2 tbsp
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp salt or to taste
1 tbsp nutritional yeast, optional
4 tbsp cold water
3 tbsp fresh dill

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375F. Dry off your chickpeas well using a clean kitchen towel and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle the chickpeas with the oil, onion powder and a good pinch of salt and toss to coat. Spread the chickpeas out on a single layer and place in the oven to roast for 25 minutes.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add a generous amount of salt to the water. When the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook until it is al dente according to package. Drain the pasta and place in a large mixing bowl with about 2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil to help prevent the pasta from sticking together as it cools to room temperature.
Prepare the dressing by whisking all the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl or jar until completely smooth.
Now, assemble the salad. Add the cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and roasted chickpeas to the bowl of pasta and pour the tahini dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Adjust the seasonings to your liking before serving.

Notes

Cook your pasta in salted water. This makes a big impact in terms of the flavor of your salad, so do not skip this step.

Toss and coat your drained pasta in a small amount of oil to help prevent the pasta from sticking and clumping together.

For perfectly crispy chickpeas, pat your chickpeas dry and make sure to bake them at a low temperature. I generally recommend baking them at 375F as they will roast without drying out or burning.

If you want to avoid turning on your oven this summer, just add the can of rinsed and drained chickpeas straight to the bowl. You may wish to add some extra salt or adjust with extra seasonings.