Vegan Italian Pasta Salad with Vegetables and Olives recipe

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Ingredients

1 (12 ounce) package fusilli pasta
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, or more if needed
½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted
¼ cup Italian parsley
1 teaspoon capers in brine, drained
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic, minced, divided
⅛ teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 small eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 small onion, cut into 1-inch cubes
10 cherry tomatoes

Nutrition Info

405.2 calories
carbohydrate: 61.9 g
cholesterol: : -
fat: 13.8 g
fiber: 7 g
protein: 11.6 g
saturatedFat: 2 g
servingSize: -
sodium: 255.3 mg
sugar: 7 g
transFat: : -
unsaturatedFat: : -

Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook fusilli in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Drain and drizzle with 1 to 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil. Mix to coat and set aside.

  2. Combine pitted olives, parsley, capers, red pepper flakes, 1/2 of the garlic, vinegar, and 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil in a mini food processor. Blend to create a rough, runny paste. Set dressing aside.

  3. Heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Saute eggplant until tender and browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain. Add remaining extra-virgin olive oil and saute zucchini until browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to soak any excess oil.

  4. Cook bell pepper, onion, and remaining 1/2 of the garlic in the same skillet until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add cherry tomatoes and heat until they begin to blister. Return eggplant and zucchini to the skillet and mix to combine. Remove from heat and transfer vegetables to a large bowl. Cool to room temperature.

  5. Mix pasta and dressing with the vegetables, toss to coat. Add more olive oil if necessary. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Recipe Yield

5 servings

Recipe Note

A classic vegan pasta salad from Italy's Southern regions consisting of sauteed vegetables and dressed with a vegan olive-based sauce.

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