Instant Pot Italian Pasta Salad | One Pot Creamy Avocado Pasta Salad

How to Make Creamy and Vegan Instant Pot Pasta Salad

Hello Foodies,

       We absolutely love the fresh and crisp vegetables tossed with a simple homemade dressing and flavors of this fresh pasta salad. It is the perfect healthy & flavorful make-ahead BBQ side dish full of fresh veggies, and fresh homemade Salad Dressing! Gluten-free, vegan, and nut-free too!

        What is a summer BBQ without an excellent pasta salad?! This Best Pasta Salad Recipe with Homemade Dressing is always the party’s hit and a must-add to any summer-gathering menu! This vibrant salad is filled with a rainbow of veggie goodness!

Video Recipe:

         This avocado pasta sauce/dressing is rich and creamy, and it brings all of the flavors in the dish together. It’s a great no mayo option for a pasta dressing that also happens to be paleo and vegan. It is a great healthy pasta sauce that is so much better than store-bought! This recipe is based on a formula that you can easily adapt to your favorite mix-ins. Don’t you like cilantro? Add fresh basil, dill, or parsley.

Tips to Make Pasta Salad:

• Cook pasta al dente (but not mushy) so that the pasta stays soft when it cools.
• Let your pasta cool completely before tossing it with the other ingredients.
• Taste and adjust the salt and pepper accordingly. 
• Add more lemon juice if you prefer a tangier salad.
• Save some veggies, avocado dressing, and herbs for garnish.

Why Cook Pasta in the Instant Pot?  

         If you’ve ever made pasta in the Instant Pot, you know how it comes out! It’s so fast and hasslefree!  And the best part is that you no longer have to stand in the kitchen watching the water boil and asking yourself if the pasta is done cooking yet.  The Instant Pot does all of the work for you! And the result is perfectly cooked pasta ready in 4 minutes.

Some more Instant Pot Pasta Recipes to Try:

• Instant Pot Makhani Sauce Pasta
• 4 Minutes Instant Pot Mac & Cheese
• Indian Masala Pasta in the Instant Pot
• White Sauce Penne Pasta
• Tortellini Pasta in the Instant Pot
• Ravioli Pasta

Preparation Time: 10 Minutes; Cooking Time: 4 Minutes. 

Each Serving of Pasta Salad Contains 216 Cal.

Ingredients:

To Cook Pasta in the Instant Pot:

• Tricolor Rotini pasta 6 Oz
• Water 2 cups
• Salt ½ Tsp
• Oil ½ Tsp
• Corn on the cob(Totally Optional, I cooked it with pasta and made Mexican Corn)

To Make Pasta Salad:

• Avocado-Spinach Dressing 1 Cup
• Red Bell Pepper ½ Cup, Chopped
• Jalapeno 1 Small, Finely Chopped
• Cucumber ½ Cup, Chopped
• Cherry Tomatoes ¼ Cup
• Corn ½ Cup, Boiled
• Avocado 1, Ripe, Chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Cheese (vegan) (Optional) 3 Tbsp

Instructions

To Cook Pasta in the Instant Pot:

• Turn on the instant pot and add water, salt, oil, and Tricolor Rotini pasta and stir well. 
• Place the trivet and corn on the cob(its optional step)
• Close the lid and place the vent on the sealing position. 
• Now, Pressure Cook on Manual Mode(Hi) for 4 minutes. 
• Quick Release the Pressure.
• Take the corns out and drain the water from the pasta and let it cool.

To Make Pasta Salad:

• In a large bowl, toss the pasta with red bell pepper, jalapeno, cucumber, sweetcorn, cherry tomatoes, and avocados. 
• Pour prepared avocado spinach dressing and add salt and pepper for taste and mix well.
• Garnish with fresh spinach and let it sit for 5-10 minutes and serve with Mexican Corns. Enjoy!!!

Instructions to make pasta on the stove-top:

• To make this pasta on stove-top, boil the pasta in a pan according to instructions on the package. 
• Once cooked, discard the water and set it aside.

Storage and Shelf Life: 

• Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. 
• They will last about 2 days in the fridge(However, due to the oxidation of avocados, I would recommend consuming within 24 hours of making the pasta salad).

Some Other Salad and Dressing Recipes to Try:

• Avocado-Spinach Dressing
• Cucumber-Yogurt Dip/Raita(Salad)
• Mango Avocado Salad
• Detox Salad
• Kakdi Chi Koshimbir(Cucumber Salad)
• Mango Salsa

Dietary Comment:

• The calorie count is based on a 2000 calorie diet.
• Per serving contains 216 calories, along with 33.3 g carbohydrates, 5 g dietary Fibers,  7.7 g fats, and 6.4 g protein.
• Portion size can always be increased or decreased depending on your health goals and activity level.

Appliances used: 

• I used my KOIOS 4-in-1 Multifunctional Hand Blender and Food Processor to make the creamy avocado dressing. It has a high and low pulse speed so you can make the sauce pretty smooth and silky.
• Also, I have used my 6 qt. Instant pot to cook pasta.

Variations/Substitute Options:

These tasty pasta salad toppers are delicious! I’ve included a mix of vegan, vegetarian, and non- vegetarian options.

Veggies:

The more veggies, the more healthy pasta. Here are some options: 

You can use Fresh Dill, Parsley, Basil. Also, you can use Asparagus (blanched and chilled), Broccoli, Cauliflower, Snow, Sweet or Sugar Snap Peas, Olives, Onion, 

Seeds & Nuts:

You can use Pumpkin Seeds, Sunflower Seeds, Sesame seeds, Cashews, Almonds, Pistachios too.

Pasta Options:

To make this gluten-free, use any gluten-free pasta you’d like and cook it al dente.

Use your favorite variety of pasta shells & shapes:

I have used the classic Tri-Colored Veggie Rotini. 

You can use Bow-Tie Farfalle, Mini Shells, ABC Pasta, Elbow Macaroni, Spaghetti noodles, or Tortellini.

Cheese Options:

Cheddar, Mozzarella, Feta, Parmesan Cheese

Protein Options:

Shredded Chicken, Turkey, Scrambled Egg, Shrimps.

• If you make this recipe, share your food picture with hashtag #aaichisavali on Instagram and Facebook so that everyone can enjoy it too! 
• Subscribe to my YouTube channel for Healthy, Tasty, Instant Pot, and Air fryer recipes.
• I love it when you try my recipes and send me pictures & feedback.

Eat Healthy, Stay Healthy!!!