As I’ve been preparing more plant-based dishes in the last few years, I wanted to retrace my steps and veganize some of the meals I’ve made and loved in the past. One of these is my balsamic pasta salad. It’s such an easy recipe. It’s great to have on hand for when you you’re too tired and lazy to even reheat the leftovers, and it’s a perfect dish to share at a potluck or barbeque. As with most of my recipes, it lends itself to a lot of creative license and freedom. So try it this way, or use it as a base with which you incorporate your own style and handy ingredients.

I brought along this pasta salad on a recent RV trip, so that we’d have some ready-to-go food when we needed it. And it’s so versatile that when we ran too low for a full meal, I threw in a bunch of spinach and some avocado and tossed it with some more balsamic vinegar to transform it into a leafy salad dinner for two!

This recipe calls for only a handful of ingredients: whatever short pasta you like or have on hand, balsamic vinegar, fresh basil, sun dried tomatoes, vegan feta cheese (which can be homemade from tofu or store-bought), sliced olives, some seasoning, and a bit of olive oil. With just a quick toss, it’s all set!

Ingredients

• 1 lb short pasta
• 2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup sliced black olives, drained
• 1 cup vegan feta cheese, cut into small chunks (Violife Just Like Feta is my favorite store-bought brand)
• 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, julienned in oil
• 1/3 cup aged balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup fresh Italian basil, julienned
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cook pasta al dente, according to package instructions. You want the pasta al dente so it doesn’t become soggy when it soaks up the oil and vinegar. Drain, rinse with cool water, and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
2. Add beans, olives, feta, sun dried tomatoes, basil, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss to combine.
3. Do a taste check and add salt, pepper, or a splash of vinegar to taste.
4. Enjoy!