If you’re looking for an easy and delicious pasta salad to bring to a potluck or picnic, this California pasta salad is perfect for you! It’s made with fresh summer veggies and topped off with zesty Italian dressing.

What is California Pasta Salad?

A California pasta salad is a classic light pasta salad with fresh vegetables such as zucchini, bell pepper, tomato, and cucumber. It’s usually served with store-bought Italian dressing, but of course you can also make your own dressing.

Besides, Parmesan cheese is often added to the dressing. However, it’s very easy to leave it out for a vegan version or you can just use nutritional yeast instead like I did.

The pasta salad is often sprinkled with sesame seeds or even poppy seeds, which gives it a nice crunch and adds flavor. I think most people use spaghetti to make California pasta salad but it’s also delicious with other pasta shapes. My favorites are rotini because they soak up the dressing really well.

What You Need for This California Pasta Salad

You don’t need any fancy or hard to find ingredients for this pasta salad. It’s ready in less than 15 minutes!

You need:

• rotini
• cucumber
• cherry tomatoes
• green bell pepper
• red onion
• black olives
• store-bought Italian dressing
• nutritional yeast (optional, but it gives the dressing a really nice touch)
• sesame seeds
• garlic powder
• red pepper flakes

As always, you can find the full ingredients and the recipe instructions in a separate, printable recipe box at the end of this post. 

How to Make California Pasta Salad

Making this pasta salad couldn’t be easier!

1. Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package.
2. Chop up the vegetables (red onion, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, green bell pepper, and olives).
3. Whisk together the store-bought Italian dressing with the spices and the nutritional yeast.
4. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and pour the dressing over the salad.
5. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and red pepper flakes. Store the pasta salad in the fridge until you serve it. Enjoy!

Dressing for California Pasta Salad

My favorite dressing for this pasta salad is Italian dressing. I usually use store-bought Italian dressing for this salad and spice it up with garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and nutritional yeast.

Make sure to buy an Italian dressing that is not packed with sugar. Unfortunately a lot of them are. Or if you got some more time, just make your own Italian dressing from scratch with olive oil, red wine vinegar, and Italian herbs.

This California Pasta Salad is…

• super delicious
• vegan
• very easy to make
• ready in less than 15 minutes
• perfect for BBQs, potlucks, and picnics as it travels very well (check out my roundup for more vegan BBQ recipes)
• a great make-ahead recipe
• fresh and light
• very versatile – just add your favorite veggies!
• perfect for summer
• colorful

Recipe Tips for this California Pasta Salad:

• add in other vegetables like broccoli or yellow and orange bell pepper
• use other pasta shapes like spaghetti or farfalle
• this pasta salad is best when it’s fresh out of the fridge
• it’s a great make-ahead recipe. It’s even better the next day, so I usually make it the day before and store it in the refrigerator overnight.

Are you looking for more vegan pasta salads?

Southwestern Pasta Salad 

Greek Pasta Salad

Let me know if you give this California pasta salad a try! As always, I love hearing from you. If you’re looking for even more vegan pasta salads, check out my roundup of 15 drool-worthy vegan pasta salad recipes.

Have a great week, everyone!

Sina – xx

5 from 1 vote

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California Pasta Salad

If you’re looking for an easy and delicious pasta salad to bring to a potluck or picnic, this California pasta salad is perfect for you! It’s made with fresh summer veggies and topped off with zesty Italian dressing.

Course Entrée, Salad, Side, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword California pasta salad, how to make California pasta salad, California pasta salad recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

For the California pasta salad:

• 9 oz rotini
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup dark olives, sliced

For the dressing;

• 1 cup store-bought vegan Italian dressing
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• red pepper flakes, to taste
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package.

2. Whisk together the store-bought Italian dressing with the spices and the nutritional yeast.
   

3. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and pour the dressing over the salad.

4. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and red pepper flakes. Store the pasta salad in the fridge until you serve it. Enjoy!