This Gluten-Free Spring Pasta Salad is the perfect side dish or vegan main course for a spring dinner or lunch. Nutty chickpeas, green peas, and fresh sugar snap peas with gluten-free pasta are tossed in a creamy lemon dressing. You can make it Modified AIP compliant as well.
As the creator of an online dairy-free and gluten-free baking school, I understand how challenging it is to find dairy and gluten-free dishes that taste as delicious as their conventional counterparts. With my spring pasta salad recipe, you can satisfy cravings for a creamy pasta salad but without any gluten, dairy, or even mayo.
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Gluten-Free Spring Pasta Salad Recipe
This bright and lemony spring pasta salad is the perfect way to enjoy the comfort of pasta with fresh veggies on a warm day. Al dente gluten-free pasta, creamy, nutty chickpeas, lightly crunchy, sweet snap peas, and green peas topped with fresh herbs make this spring pea pasta salad full of texture and flavor.
But the dressing is the real star! It creates a really creamy vegan pasta salad without dairy or mayo. It’s tangy and zesty from the lemon and Dijon mustard with a touch of maple syrup to balance that tanginess. The tahini makes it super creamy and it’s perfectly seasoned with some garlic, salt and black pepper. The double dressing really amps up the flavor.
Whether or not you’re following a gluten and dairy free diet or just looking for a quick and easy dinner side, all eaters will enjoy this pasta salad. Make it for your next barbecue, cookout or spring gathering!
Ingredients
Creamy Lemon Dressing
- olive oil
- tahini
- lemon juice
- maple syrup
- Dijon mustard
- lemon zest
- garlic
- sea salt
- black pepper
Spring Pasta Salad
- gluten-free pasta – farfalle and fusilli are my favorites for this recipe!
- green peas – fresh or frozen
- chickpeas – also called garbanzo beans. Cook them yourself or use ready-made from a can, just drain and rinse them first.
- snap peas – fresh, no need to cook them!
- parsley
- basil
Ingredient Substitutions
- Olive oil: You can use avocado oil instead.
- Gluten-free pasta: I recommend using a short pasta for this recipe because the smaller, bite-sized pieces are easier to eat. Use any type of gluten-free pasta (i.e. made from gluten-free ingredients) that you’d like. I like the Jovial brand for both gluten-free and grain-free pasta options.
- Snap peas: You can use snow peas instead.
- AIP Modifications: You can easily make this recipe comply with the Modified AIP elimination version of the AIP diet. Use a Dijon mustard made with only compliant ingredients (just water, mustard seeds, vinegar, salt) like this brand here and use a gluten-free pasta made from Modified AIP compliant ingredients like rice, quinoa, chickpea, cassava, or sweet potato.
- I don’t recommend any other substitutions.
How to Make Gluten-Free Spring Pasta Salad
Step 1: Make the Dressing
Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a jar or small bowl with a fork or combine in a blender until emulsified.
Step 2: Cook the pasta and peas
In a large pot, boil the gluten-free pasta in salted water until al dente. Then, add in green peas just before draining and cook for 15-20 seconds. Drain and pour into a large bowl.
Step 3: Add chickpeas and marinate
Add the chickpeas to the pasta and green peas. Dress with 2/3 of the dressing and allow to marinate for 20 minutes.
Step 4: Add snap peas and herbs
Just before you’re ready to serve the dish, add the thinly sliced snap peas with the finely chopped parsley and basil. Add the remaining dressing and toss to combine.
Step 5: Garnish
Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with additional fresh herbs of choice, optional.
Step 6: Serve
Serve immediately.
Tips & Tricks
Zest the Garlic
A handy trick I learnt is to zest the garlic into my salad dressings. You can use the smallest side of a box grater, a zester, or a rasp-style grater like a Microblade. Alternatively, crush the garlic in a garlic press or finely mince it.
How to Slice the Snap Peas
You can cut the snap peas in any way that you’d like. I prefer to ‘shred’ them in long, thin strips at an angle, as pictured below. This way you get neat, bite-sized pieces in every forkful (and it looks nice, too!)
Rinse the Pasta
Pasta often sticks together once cooked, which is not desirable for pasta salads. I like to rinse it under cold water after I’ve drained the boiled water, and use my hands to separate the pieces if necessary. This also acts like a quick blanch and stops both the pasta and peas from overcooking. Some grain free pastas could also benefit from a splash of olive oil once cooked to prevent it from becoming sticky and gummy.
Marinate to Build the Flavor
By marinating the pasta, green peas, and chickpeas in the dressing, we’re layering the flavor so that it really packs a punch. Don’t skip this step!
I’ve noticed that grain-free cassava pasta often gets soggy if marinated too long in a dressing. If you’re using this type of pasta, I suggest you marinate the chickpeas on their own for 20 minutes. Save time by doing this while the pasta cooks.
Cold Pasta Salad
If you prefer a cold pasta salad, I suggest putting the dish in the fridge to chill for the last 10 minutes of marination, before adding the snap peas and fresh herbs.
How to Serve Gluten-Free Spring Pasta Salad
The chickpeas are a great source of plant-based protein so you can enjoy this vegetarian and vegan dish as a complete meal. As a standalone dish it makes about 3-4 large servings.
As a side dish, this recipe makes about 5-6 servings. This would pair well with mains like Fish en Papillote, Mango Lime BBQ Chicken, Balsamic Glazed Chicken Wings, Grilled Pork Chops, Gluten Free Chicken Piccata, Roasted Chicken Thighs or Air Fryer Chicken Breast.
Serve it with other veggie sides like this Grilled Asparagus with Orange, Shaved Vegetable Spring Salad, Grilled Sweet Potato Wedges or Grilled Cauliflower.
Frequently Asked Questions
The chickpeas, snap peas, and green peas are the veggies of choice in this dish so I don’t recommend omitting these legumes. Instead, try my Paleo Pasta Salad for a core AIP and vegan pasta salad.
If you want to make it in advance, prep and store the individual components separately in the fridge until ready to serve. Make the dressing, boil the pasta and peas, cook if necessary then marinate the chickpeas, and cut up the snap peas and fresh herbs. When ready to serve, toss them together in a large bowl.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-3 days.
Alternatively, store individual components separately in the fridge for 2-3 days.
The dressing can last up to 5 days in the fridge but the oil will solidify. Leave it out at room temperature and whisk to recombine.
If you’d like to remove some of the chill you can warm up leftovers in the microwave for 20 seconds.
Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing this dish.
I hope you love this Vegan and Gluten-Free Spring Pasta Salad. If you do, I would appreciate it if you would give the recipe a rating and review. Be sure to snap a picture of the finished product and share it with me on Instagram by tagging @healmedelicious and using the hashtag #healmedelicious.
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Gluten-Free Spring Pasta Salad Recipe (Vegan)
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 3–4 main dish servings, 5-6 side dish servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This Gluten-Free Spring Pasta Salad is the perfect side dish or vegan main course for a spring lunch or dinner. It’s filled with nutty chickpeas, green peas, and fresh, sweet snap peas with gluten-free pasta, all tossed in a creamy lemon dressing. You can make it Modified AIP compliant as well.
Ingredients
Creamy Lemon Dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 TBSP tahini
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- Zest of half a lemon
- 1 clove garlic, crushed, finely minced, or zested
- 1/2 tsp sea salt (plus more to taste)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper (plus more to taste)
Pasta Salad
- 8 oz gluten-free pasta, approximately 2 cups
- 1 cup shelled green peas, fresh or frozen
- 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas
- 1 cup snap peas, sliced thinly lengthwise
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
Instructions
- In a jar or small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, tahini, lemon juice, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, lemon zest, garlic, sea salt, and black pepper with a fork. Or, combine all of the dressing ingredients in a blender until emulsified.
- Boil the pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente.
- Add in green peas just before draining and cook for 15-20 seconds.
- Drain and rinse in cold water. Then pour the pasta and green peas into a large bowl.*
- Add the chickpeas to the bowl with pasta and green peas and dress with 2/3 of the dressing. Allow to marinate at least 20 minutes. Alternatively, marinate the chickpeas on their own for 20 minutes then add to the pasta and green peas.**
- Just before serving, add in the thinly sliced snap peas, finely chopped parsley and basil, and the remaining 1/3 of dressing. Toss to combine.
- Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Garnish with additional herbs as necessary.***
Notes
Refer to the photos in the Tips & Tricks section to see how I sliced the snap peas.
*My brown rice pasta gets sticky if I leave as is so I always run it under cold water to loosen the pieces. This also acts like a quick blanch and ensures the pasta and peas don’t overcook.
**I used a brown rice pasta which was fine to marinate. However, some gluten and grain-free pastas like cassava pasta will get very soggy in the dressing for this length of time and shouldn’t be marinated. I recommend marinating the chickpeas on their own instead.
***Along with more fresh parsley and basil, dill would be a nice additional herb to use for garnish.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Sides
- Method: Assembled
- Cuisine: Italian inspired
Beautiful salad! Can’t wait to make it. Thank you for sharing! 💕