Provencal Pasta Salad. It is spring time, and salads are on the menu. This pasta salad is super easy, ready in less than 30 minutes, and features a perfect combination of pasta, green beans, red pepper, artichokes, olives, zucchini, red onion and cherry tomatoes. Yes, crunchy fresh vegetables again!
The key to the ease of this recipe is cooking the pasta and beans in the Instant Pot. Although not necessary, it simplifies the process with the pasta and beans cooking while you prepare the vegetables and the dressing. Instant Pot pasta can be tricky, but using the perfect timing trick that I learned from Marci, my pasta and beans are perfect.
Whether you are feeding a big crowd, or taking a salad to a potluck or a picnic, this pasta salad will be a go to favorite. Since it is vegan, gluten free and dairy free, you won't have concerns about refrigeration.
The fresh basil dressing gives the salad a yummy tangy flavor that enhances the flavors of all of the other ingredients. Try it; it will be a crowd favorite.
Instructions For Provencal Pasta Salad
Recipe
Provencal Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 16 oz gluten free brown rice spiral pasta
- 12 oz fresh green beans
- 2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 12 oz marinated artichoke hearts, drained
- ½ cup red onion, chopped
- 2 zucchini, sliced
- ¾ cup olives
- 1 red pepper, sliced
Dressing
- 1 cup fresh basil
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
Pasta and Green Beans
- To cook pasta in Instant Pot: Add 4 cups of water, 2 teaspoon sea salt, 2 tablespoon olive oil, pasta and green beans to Instant Pot. Stir well. Set to high pressure for 1 minute. As soon as pasta is cooked, quick release QR the pressure valve. Remove inner pot and pour pasta and green beans into colander. Rinse with cold water. Allow water to drain complete from colander. Pour pasta and green beans into large bowl or platter (the one I used is 15" wide)
If you are NOT cooking in Instant Pot: Cook pasta according to package directions and add green beans to water when it starts boiling. Cook beans for same time as pasta and drain as described above.
Dressing
- Add all dressing ingredients to small blender and blend well.
Vegetables
- Slice vegetables: onion, zucchini, red pepper. Add onion, zucchini, red pepper, olives, artichoke hearts and tomatoes to pasta/green beans bowl. Toss well. Serve with dressing added, or on the side as desired. Garnish with fresh basil.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Tips For Making Provencal Pasta Salad
- Follow the directions exactly to cook pasta in the Instant Pot. If you add too much water, or not enough, your results will not be as expected, and can lead to a mess. If you don't want to cook the pasta in an Instant Pot, follow package directions. I used brown rice pasta in order to serve a gluten free pasta salad. You will not notice any difference in taste between gluten and gluten free pasta.
- Do not add dressing until you are ready to serve or the pasta salad or vegetables may get soggy.
- If you are not vegan or vegetarian, you can add protein to this salad by including grilled chicken.
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