When vegetarians make the transition to veganism, the amount of popular meals and snacks that may seem like they’re dairy-free and egg-free aren’t. Even salt n’ vinegar chips have milk in them. Noodles may generally be dairy-free with flour and water, but eggs are usually used to make them. Then, add in jarred pasta sauce, including tomato versions, and even those have milk products in them. And jarred white sauces usually include whipping cream, butter and cheese. Vegans are better off grabbing the tomatoes, onions and garlic to make their own sauces.

So how can plant-based chefs make a healthy pasta salad recipe without losing their omnivore guests and making sure the meal tastes just as delicious? Here’s one suggestion.

Plant-Based Cheese Pasta Salad Ingredients

• 1 cup of peas
• 2 cups of water
• 3 green onions (sliced)
• 12 ounces of pasta (of your choice)*
• 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
• Morton’s lite salt (or another lite salt variation) to boil and taste
• ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper
• ¼ of red pepper (or paprika)
• 2 tablespoons of non-dairy shredded cheese**
• (optional, for “meaty” crunch) 2 tablespoons of ground walnuts

* In this recipe, the suggested pasta choice is Conchiglie Rigate (ridged shells).

** In this recipe, the suggested shredded vegan cheese is Field Roast Chao Shreds.

Plant-Based Healthy Pasta Salad Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water (with lite salt) to a boil.
2. Add conchiglie and cook, stirring occasionally for 10 to 12 minutes until it is tender but firm.
3. Drain noodles, and let it cool on a nearby counter.
4. Boil two cups of water in a pan.
5. Add the peas, and cook for 1-2 minutes.
6. Drain the water from the peas, and pour into a larger bowl with a slotted spoon.
7. Add green onions and pasta to the bowl, and stir all three ingredients well.
8. In a separate bowl, whisk the dressing combination of olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, both types of pepper and (optional) paprika.
9. Pour the pasta dressing over the noodle mix and toss.
10. Sprinkle the non-vegan cheese.
11. (Optional) Sprinkle ground walnuts on top of the cheesy pea pasta.

This healthy pasta salad tastes good when it’s cold or hot, which is a perk if the whole bowl isn’t eaten in one sitting.  Serve and enjoy.

Customizing Your Healthy Pasta Salad

If you’d like to pack your healthy pasta salad with more vegetables, consider chopped cherry tomatoes, shredded carrots, corn, shelled edamame and fresh herbs like parsley or basil. If you opt out of the vegan cheese, roasted chickpeas and imitation bacon bits add a crouton-like crunch. If you do choose the cheesy version, go for cold (or lukewarm) garbanzo beans instead.