Radiatori Pasta Salad Recipe

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This radiatori pasta salad recipe is a light and refreshing salad, loaded with fresh vegetables, grated parmesan cheese, cooked noodles, and a 5-minute homemade vinaigrette dressing. It’s a fantastic side dish for a potluck, to serve with dinner, or makes a great light lunch.

A quick and simple radiatori pasta recipe that is simple to make and super versatile. See our step-by-step photos and directions below to make this easy pasta salad recipe today.

Want more plant-based pasta salad recipes? Try our cucumber dill pasta salad, our favorite linguine pasta salad, and our vegan Hawaiian macaroni salad recipe.

radiatori pasta salad with chickpeas and dill and fresh tomatoes

Table of Contents

If you’re looking for a fun and unique pasta salad that is also delicious & a crowd-pleaser, add this great radiatori pasta salad to your menu. Radiatori noodles are a fun medium-sized pasta shape with lots of ridges, making them ideal for holding dressing and spices in a pasta salad.

Start by cooking the pasta, chopping your vegetables, and pouring a simple quick vinaigrette over the pasta salad. You can make this pasta salad up to 2 days in advance – it holds up well in the refrigerator, making it a great make-ahead side dish.

Notes from Our Kitchen

This salad is crunchy, crisp, tangy, and so good!
Ready in 30 minutes, you can make this quickly and easily.
It’s versatile, add your favorite vegetables to this pasta salad. See our suggestions below!
The homemade dressing takes only a few minutes and adds a ton of great flavor to the salad.
Follow our step-by-step photos and directions below.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Be sure to visit the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions!

Radiatori is a versatile pasta shape for both hot and cold pasta dishes, and especially great for pasta salads! You can find radiatori in most large grocery stores. My stores have both name brand and generic radiatori pasta so I can usually find some on sale and stock up.

The vegetables in this salad are fresh tomatoes, crisp cucumber, bell peppers, and spinach for great color and flavor.

I also add in some canned chickpeas for texture and a delicious nutty flavor. And for more flavor additions, I like finishing the dish with both fresh dill and grated parmesan cheese (optional).

The super simple vinaigrette dressing is made with extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, maple syurp, fresh garlic, Italian seasoning, and both salt and pepper.

Additions and Substitutions

Other vegetable additions to this salad would be olives, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, chopped broccoli or cauliflower, shredded cabbage, arugula, or carrots.

While the homemade dressing is really delicious, if you are short on time, you can use a store-bought Italian dressing or Greek vinaigrette.

Add protein! Extra beans, marinated tofu, or cooked meats (like shredded chicken, salami, or prosciutto) would be great additions.

You can use a pre-grated parmesan cheese instead of grating your own.

Step-By-Step Photos and Directions

cooked radiatori pasta in a pot boiling water for pasta salad

Step 1: Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain in a colander, rinse under cold water, and place the drained pasta into a large mixing bowl.

chopped tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, and spinach in a bowl for vegetarian pasta salad.

Step 2: Chop the cucumber, tomato, and bell pepper, and baby spinach, and drain and rinse the chickpeas. Add them to the bowl with the cooled pasta.

pasta salad vinaigrette dressing with dill recipe with vegan vinaigrette

Step 3: In a small mixing bowl, add all the dressing ingredients together with the fresh dill, and whisk well to combine.

pasta salad topped with a vegan vinaigrette dressing

Step 4: Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and toss well.

a big bowl or pasta salad recipe with radiatori noodles

Step 5: Top with parmesan cheese if desired and serve immediately.

Recipe FAQs

What is radiatori pasta salad made of?

This radiatori pasta salad is made with cooked noodles, a variety of chopped fresh vegetables like bell peppers, cucumber, tomatoes, and spinach, and a quick Italian vinaigrette dressing.

Can you meal prep this pasta salad?

Yes, this recipe is great for meal prepping, as it makes an excellent light lunch. If you meal prep, you can add everything but the spinach in the recipe, follow the directions as written, and add the chopped spinach before serving.

How to store leftover pasta salad?

You can store any leftover pasta salad in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. This recipe won’t freeze well, so enjoy it fresh.

Expert Tips

For a vegan version, you can omit the Parmesan cheese, or use a plant-based version instead.
If you are making this dish ahead of time, you can prepare the recipe but don’t add the spinach until just before serving. The spinach will wilt once tossed with the pasta salad dressing, so that is best fresh.
Make it a meal! Add your favorite cooked protein for a light and refreshing dinner idea. This makes an excellent meal to enjoy when it’s too hot to cook.

pasta salad with radiatori pasta recipes vegetarian italian pasta salad

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