Gluten Free Pistachio Pasta Salad Recipe

Summertime comes with its own little dilemmas – the clothes we wear are skimpier than other times of the year and the food can be a lot more fattening – ice cream, fatty meats with calorie laden barbeque sauces and those poolside cocktails with pretty little umbrellas can all add some extra rolls and I am not talking gluten-free hotdog rolls here! Even the lovely salads of summer can be packed with extra fat and calories, especially the coleslaws, potato and pasta salads.

All that yummy food just goes with these long, lazy, sunshine-filled days, backyard parties, beach outings and chilling-by-the-pool. So what is this gluten-free girl to do when she wants to have her cake (or in this case a gluten-free pasta salad) and eat it, too? Come up with a genius way to make a creamy, delicious pasta salad and cut back on the fat – that’s what!

This recipe starts with gluten-free pasta then is packed with veggies, a handful of kalamata olives and sun-dried tomatoes, wonderful pistachios for crunch and flavor and then for the genius part – a rich creamy dressing with just a tiny bit of oil. What’s the secret? Boiled potatoes! I took a couple Yukon gold potatoes, boiled them up while the pasta was cooking and then made an egg-free, pistachio and mayonnaise type of dressing with just ¼ cup of oil! Best part? The potatoes add absolutely NO fat! No, actually the BEST part is the taste! Rich, indulgent, and elegant! This is not your mama’s pasta salad, but she will probably ask you for the recipe!

This post linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe

Gluten Free Pistachio Pasta Salad Recipe

Prep Time15 mins

Total Time15 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 374kcal

Author: Gluten Free & More

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 (16 ounce) package gluten-free pasta
• ▢ 2 medium Yukon gold potatoes (about ½ pound), peeled and cubed
• ▢ ½ cup plus 3 tablespoons roasted and salted pistachios - use divided
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic - minced
• ▢ ¼ cup olive oil
• ▢ Juice of 1 lemon
• ▢ 1 tablespoon water
• ▢ ½ cup kalamata olives - pitted and chopped
• ▢ ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil - drained and chopped
• ▢ 1 (12 ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts - drained and quartered
• ▢ 4 green onions - chopped
• ▢ 1 red pepper - chopped
• ▢ 3 stalks celery - diced
• ▢ ¼ cup fresh basil - minced
• ▢ kosher or sea salt and pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• ▢
  Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions. In a small saucepan, boil the potatoes until very tender. When the pasta is cooked, drain and rinse under cold water. Drain the potatoes.
• ▢
  Make the dressing by placing the cooked and drained potatoes in a blender along with 3 tablespoons of pistachios, the garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and water. Blend until smooth and creamy.
• ▢
  Put the cooked pasta into a large mixing bowl; add the dressing, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, green onions, red pepper, celery and basil and toss to combine. Roughly chop the remaining pistachios and stir into the salad. Refrigerate until serving time. Can be made several hours ahead of time. Let come to room temperature before serving for best flavor.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Gluten Free Pistachio Pasta Salad Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 374 Calories from Fat 135

% Daily Value*

Fat 15g23%

Saturated Fat 2g10%

Sodium 359mg15%

Potassium 378mg11%

Carbohydrates 55g18%

Fiber 4g16%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 7g14%

Vitamin A 1179IU24%

Vitamin C 45mg55%

Calcium 34mg3%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog owner’s. This blog accepts free manufacturers’ samples and forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation. Affiliate links may be included in this post.

Have you tried this recipe? Give it a star rating and let us know your thoughts in the Ratings & Reviews section below.