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This Pesto Pasta Salad is perfect for picnics, barbecues and lunchboxes. A simple gluten free pasta salad with crispy bacon pieces, mozzarella pearls, chickpeas, red onion and spinach, mixed in a creamy Greek yoghurt and pesto dressing. Delicious hot or cold!
A Simple Gluten Free Pasta Salad
Sometimes the simplest recipes are the best, and you only need 2 ingredients to make the sauce for this Pesto Pasta Salad.
This gluten free pasta salad recipe is ready in under 15 minutes and packed with everyday fridge basics, making it a great side dish for a last-minute barbecue.
Be sure to use a good quality gluten free pasta (suggestions in the Ingredients below) as some of the cheaper free from pastas can go hard and brittle when eaten cold.
But whether you enjoy this hot or cold, it’s the perfect summer recipe and one I like to have on rotation when the weather hots up. Coeliac-safe with dairy free options too!
Table of Contents
Ingredients and Substitutions
There’s a printable recipe card below for this gluten free Pesto Pasta Salad recipe with the full quantities. But here are the main ingredients and ideas for any swaps.
- Gluten Free Pasta: I use gluten free rigatoni pasta for this recipe as I just love the shape! The Rummo one is my fave but I also love the Vitto one which is new.
- Pesto: You can use shop-bought or homemade pesto, and if making this recipe dairy free and/or vegan, use a vegan pesto instead.
- Greek Yoghurt: Natural yoghurt would work but may be a bit of a runnier dressing. For dairy free, I’d recommend using coconut yoghurt or soy yoghurt.
- Red Onion: Spring onions (scallions) also work, if preferred.
- Chickpeas: Use tinned or jarred chickpeas. You can swap for butter beans or cannelini beans, or just omit these if you don’t like them.
- Bacon Lardons: Or chopped up streaky bacon. Omit for a vegan recipe.
- Mozzarella: I use mozzarella pearls but you can also chop or rip a ball of mozzarella into chunks. For a vegan recipe, use a dairy free mozzarella alternative or omit.
- Spinach: Or other veggies that work well in this recipe include chopped tomatoes, cucumber (for a cold pasta salad), peppers and sweetcorn.
How to Make a Pesto Pasta Salad
There’s a printable recipe card below with the method. But here are some step-by-step photos to show you how easy this gluten free pesto pasta salad recipe is to make.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
TO STORE: This pasta salad can be eaten fresh while still warm, or can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours before and eaten cold. I don’t recommend freezing.
Serve It With…
Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 200 g gluten free pasta
- 80 g pesto
- 100 g Greek yoghurt
- Half red onion, finely chopped
- 400 g tinned chickpeas, drained
- 80 g bacon lardons
- 100 g mozzarella pearls
- 2-3 handfuls fresh spinach, roughly shredded
Instructions
- Cook the gluten free pasta per the pack instructions (usually 10 minutes in salted, boiling water) and drain. While the pasta is cooking, prepare everything else.
- Add a little oil to a pan and fry the bacon lardons on a medium-high heat until crispy, around 4-5 minutes, turning regularly.
- In a small bowl, mix together the Greek yoghurt and pesto to make the dressing.
- Add the drained gluten free pasta, red onion, chickpeas, bacon, spinach and mozzarella chunks to a large bowl. Pour over the dressing, mix well and serve warm or cold.
Video
More Gluten Free BBQ Side Dishes
If you like this simple pesto pasta salad then make sure you check out these other gluten free recipes for BBQ side dishes and salads too…
- Gluten Free Couscous Salad
- Greek Salad
- Mexican Corn Salad
- Beetroot Salad
- Greek Pasta Salad
- Potato Salad
- Gluten Free Tuna Pasta Salad
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