Vegan Pasta Salad
This Vegan Pasta Salad is guaranteed to steal the show at all your summer picnics and barbecues. Perfectly cooked pasta is tossed with a creamy, slightly smoky romesco-inspired sauce, then topped with a zingy, herby bread crumb topping for maximal freshness and flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 pound fusilli, rotini, or penne rigate (a ridged pasta)
- 1 cup (112g) raw walnuts
- 5 ounces (140g) sourdough loaf, baguette, or country-style bread, sliced
- 1 (12-ounce/340g) jar of roasted red bell peppers , drained from the liquid in the jar
- 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 medium lemon, zested and juiced (3 tablespoons juice; save the zest for the topping)
- ½ to 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (use 1 teaspoon for prominent smokiness)
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- ⅓ cup (75g) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup reserved bread crumbs from sauce
- reserved lemon zest from topping
- 1 cup (16g) flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 ½ cups (24g) fresh basil, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons capers, chopped (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt
- 3 cups (60g) baby arugula, chopped
Instructions
- Arrange bread slices on a sheet pan and tuck walnuts into the empty spots. Slide the pan into a 350°F oven and toast for 8 to 10 minutes, tossing the walnuts and flipping the bread halfway so the nuts brown lightly and the bread shows a bit of golden color.
- Tear the toasted bread into small pieces and add them to a food processor. Pulse repeatedly until you have coarse crumbs with little bits of texture, keeping the processor off continuously to avoid a fine powder.
- Add half your toasted crumbs to the processor along with roasted red peppers, walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Process until a thick paste forms, scrape down the sides, then stream in olive oil until the sauce is smooth and thick. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Transfer room temperature pasta to a large bowl and pour the red pepper sauce over it. Use a silicone spatula to move the pasta gently and spread the sauce evenly.
- Add about ¾ cup of reserved pasta water and toss so the sauce loosens and clings to each piece. If the mixture feels too thick, add a little more water until it looks saucy.
- Fold in chopped arugula and any other mix-ins you like—diced roasted peppers or seasonal tomatoes work well—and toss until the greens soften slightly and the flavors meld.
- Before serving, sprinkle the reserved herby bread crumb topping over the salad and toss gently so you get bursts of fresh herbs and crunchy crumbs in every bite.
Notes
- When cooking 1 pound of pasta, add 2 tablespoons kosher salt to the boiling water so the pasta tastes well-seasoned.
- If you serve the pasta salad chilled, cook pasta 2 minutes beyond the box’s al dente upper cook time so it stays soft when cooled.
- When draining pasta, reserve 1 cup of pasta water before rinsing to help loosen the thick sauce and improve coating.
- If you assemble ahead, toss warm pasta with half the sauce and ½ to ¾ cup pasta water, refrigerate, then before serving add remaining sauce and extra water.
- When making bread crumbs, use the pulse function in your processor instead of continuous blending to keep small bits for the herby topping.