This gluten-free pasta salad recipe will be on repeat all summer long! A quick and easy homemade Italian dressing is the cherry on top of this delicious dish. Make this simple gluten-free pasta salad for your next summer barbecue or party – everyone (including gluten-eaters) will love it!

gluten-free pasta salad in a big bowl with a wooden spoon

Pasta salad has always been my favorite part of every summer barbecue. Even as a child, I’d fill my paper plate to the brim with pasta salad and nothing else. There’s just something about a chilled pasta salad in the warm weather that is so light and fresh, yet satisfying. Most pasta salads contain both gluten and dairy, but making one without is surprisingly easy! I opted for brown rice pasta since it has the best taste and texture when chilled. And I simply left out the cheese while boosting the flavor of this dish in other ways to make up for it. This gluten AND dairy-free pasta salad won’t leave you feeling deprived, like at all. Enjoy this recipe as a side to virtually any meal, or if you’re like me – find the biggest plate you can, fill it up and eat it on its own!

What You Need To Make Gluten-Free Pasta Salad

Gluten-Free Pasta – Brown rice pasta reigns supreme in both taste and texture. While you can definitely use whatever kind of gluten-free pasta you’d like for this recipe, I highly recommend you give brown rice pasta a try. And not just any brown rice pasta, I specifically recommend the Tinkyada Brown Rice Spirals. I bought mine at Whole Foods, but have seen them at a variety of grocery stores. Now, if you’ve been reading my blog for a little while now, you know that I live and die by the Jovial Brown Rice pasta. However, when cold, Jovial brand pasta tends to get hard and chewy – which is not ideal for a pasta dish we plan on enjoying cold. Therefore, of all the gluten-free pasta brands I have experimented with for this gluten-free pasta salad recipe, I found Tinkyada to be the best!

Pepperoncini – We loooove pepperoncinis around here. I love having a jar in my fridge to add to any and all salads, while my boyfriend is obsessed with putting them on his sandwiches. If you’ve never had/heard of pepperoncinis (you’re missing out) they’re mildly spicy pickled peppers. Most commonly sold whole, you’ll want to slice them before adding them to your gluten-free pasta salad. If you’re sensitive to spice, I recommend slicing and using only the bottom half of the pepperoncinis. The closer to the stem you get, the hotter that part of the pepper will be.

Salami – Any kind of salami will work in this recipe! My only recommendation would be to avoid using thinly sliced salami. Try purchasing a whole salami and slicing into bite-sized pieces yourself. Feel free to go as big or as small with these pieces as you’d like.

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Vegan: Use chickpeas instead of salami, or just leave that part of the recipe out altogether!

Add Gluten: Feel free to use regular pasta instead of gluten-free pasta in this recipe.

Add Dairy: Throw a little mozzarella into this gluten-free pasta salad if you’d like.