This Pasta Salad Dressing is incredibly delicious, tangy, healthy, and creamy and you can enjoy it over your favorite green salads too! Double the batch and store some for later so you can always have this dressing on hand. Fresh crisp vegetables with rotini pasta with a choice of adding any vegetables your heart desires!
Motivation to Make Healthy Pasta Salad and Dressing
First of all, I’d seriously like to ask: do you really need a reason to make a healthy pasta salad? LOL! I mean, who doesn’t love a dose of carbs but in the healthiest form possible. Our bodies crave it and let’s not kid ourselves, it’s yummy! With that said, here’s a few reasons why you should try this recipe out.
- It’s a satisfying take on a classic favorite: pasta salad.
- The salad is appealing to the eyes with all the beautiful colors of the ingredients that go into the pasta salad which is always a plus with kids as well!
- A creamy tangy herb dressing that hits the spot and gives an added texture to the salad that balances it all out!
- Full of balanced and delicious flavors!
- Very easy and quick to put together.
- Perfect light dinner or lunch and great dish for a party when entertaining guests!
The Light and Creamy Healthy Pasta Salad Dressing
The base for this dressing is avocado mayonnaise, olive oil, vinegar, and lemon juice. These are such basic yet essential ingredients for this type of dressing. The mayonnaise coupled with the lemon juice, vinegar, and olive oil create the perfect creamy density this dressing has. They also give it the tanginess that will marry perfectly with the herbs and seasonings.
Then you have your garlic, oregano, basil, Italian seasoning, and parsley which are a mix of aromatic and flavorful. Mix them together or blend them for a fluffier result. You can swap out any seasonings you don’t like and add to the mix whatever you prefer. However you end up preparing it, it’s going to take that healthy pasta salad up to a whole new level of YUM!
Healthy Pasta Salad
I prepared my pasta salad using rotini pasta. But, of course, you can use the pasta of your liking. Don’t hesitate to get creative with this salad. Whether it’s with the type of pasta you want to use or the vegetables, it’s always about what you like.
My family loves celery, corn, and peppers. You must admit, they do taste amazing together! But if those aren’t your kind of flavors, change it up. You can use shallots, carrots, onions, or anything else you know you would enjoy in your salad.
My recipe calls for albacore tuna which is also a family favorite. You can choose to leave it out completely! If you still want a protein in your salad, you can add turkey, sautéed chicken cubes, or shredded chicken. Maybe you prefer seafood! Grill some shrimp and add them or throw in some smoked salmon. It’s your salad, make it as you like!
Ingredients for Healthy Pasta Salad Recipe with Dressing
Dressing
- olive oil
- lemon juice
- white vinegar
- avocado mayonnaise or mayo of choice
- garlic cloves; minced
- dried oregano
- parsley dried or fresh
- Italian seasoning
- dried basil
- salt
Salad
- rotini pasta
- albacore tuna
- celery
- black olives
- corn drained
- mixed peppers diced
How to Make the Salad
- Place all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk together then drizzle half the amount over the pasta salad.
- Refrigerate until chilled then pour the rest of the dressing and mix to enjoy.
You can use short pasta shapes like penne pasta, bow tie pasta or rotini.
In a medium bring 4-6 quarts of water and a pinch of salt to a boil. Add in your pasta and cook for 8-10 minutes. Drain the pasta and allow to cool for about 20 minutes before adding to your veggies. A faster way is to run the pasta under cold water.
For best results, refrigerate for 2-4 hours before serving. The longer it sits the more the noodles soak in the dressing flavors. Feel free to add more dressing if has soaked it all up.
Recipes you may want to try
- Easy Persian Walnut Stew- Fesenjan
- Meat and Rice Stuffed Squash
- Hearty Kafta and Potato Stew
- Best Sweet Potato Casserole Ever
- Tuna Salad
- Beef Shawarma Egg Rolls- Air Fried
- French Onion Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Sweet Potato Cajun Rice Bowl
Healthy Pasta Salad with Dressing
Ingredients
Dressing
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup white vinegar
- ¼ cup avocado mayonnaise or mayo of choice
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 1 tablespoons parsley dried or fresh
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- ½ tablespoon salt
Salad
- rotini pasta
- albacore tuna
- celery
- black olives
- corn drained
- mixed peppers diced
Instructions
- Place all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk together then drizzle half the amount over the pasta salad. Refrigerate until chilled then pour the rest of the dressing and mix to enjoy.
Larissa says
This pasta salad and dressing recipe
is Super easy, customizable, and a perfect meal for a hot summer day. 11/10