This Vegan Pasta Salad is so flavorful and easy when you cook the pasta in the Instant Pot! The pasta cooks in the dressing and broth, so the pasta absorbs more flavor. Toss it with some simple veggies and you've got a meal!
Have you ever eaten pasta salad and wished that it had more flavor? This Instant Pot recipe solves that problem! In this dish, the pasta is pressure cooked in broth AND Italian dressing for the ultimate flavor without having to add tons of seasonings.
This dish couldn't be any easier. Just cook the pasta in your Instant Pot, toss it with the veggies and arugula, chill it, then serve! This flavorful dish will be a major hit at your next party!
Why you'll love this recipe
- Super Fast Meal - Cooking pasta in the Instant Pot is so quick and easy, and the rest of the recipe is just tossing everything together!
- Packed Full of Flavor - Since we use a pressure cooker, the pasta salad is infused with dressing and broth, making it full of flavor no matter what you put on it!
- Everyone will love it! Who DOESN'T love pasta salad?? Plus, this recipe doesn't use mayo or other commonly disliked ingredients, so it will be a hit for everyone!
What you need for this recipe
Ingredients and Substitutions:
- Penne Pasta - I used penne for this recipe, but any short pasta shape will work! Rotini would be a great substitute!
- Italian Dressing - For this one, I found a great creamy Italian dressing that I LOVED! However, any regular Italian dressing, or other oil-based dressing will work wonderfully!
- Vegetable Broth - Regular vegetable broth, low sodium broth, or even using vegetable bouillon works wonderfully. Water can be used as a substitute as well, though the pasta may have a little bit less flavor.
- Cherry Tomatoes - Sliced cherry or grape tomatoes, or finely dice 1 large tomato.
- Cucumber - Dice cucumber for a nice cool crunch!
- Arugula - I love using arugula because it is so flavorful and delicate. Spinach or other leafy greens work great as well.
Equipment:
How to make this recipe
Step 1: Cook the Pasta
To your Instant Pot or pressure cooker, add 16 ounces of pasta along with 1 ½ cups of Italian dressing and 4 cups of vegetable broth.
Close the lid and set the valve to sealing.
Pressure cook on HIGH for 4 minutes. It may take 5-10 minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure before the 4 minutes begin.
Once the 4 minutes are up, press CANCEL and then let the pressure release naturally (meaning don't do anything) for 5 minutes.
After the 5 minute natural release, switch the valve to venting and manually release any remaining pressure until the floating pin drops.
Remove the lid and stir the pasta. There should be a small amount of broth/dressing left in the pot.
Step 2: Make the Pasta Salad
Place the cooked pasta into a very large bowl or other container, and put it in the fridge for about 1 hour or until it is cooled.
Once cool, remove from the fridge and add the chopped cucumber, the sliced tomatoes, and the fresh arugula.
Toss these all together until very well combined.
Step 3: Finishing Touches
Taste the dish and season with salt and pepper to your liking.
If you consume dairy and would like to add cheese or anything extra, do so at the end.
Serve cool and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- To get the pasta to cool more quickly in the fridge, remove it from the Instant Pot container. Place it in a large and wide bowl, so that there are fewer layers stacked on top of each other. You can even spread the noodles out on a baking sheet. This will allow it to cool as fast as possible.
- Don't be concerned by a small amount of leftover broth and dressing at the end of the cooking process. This excess liquid will mostly be absorbed and it will act as a dressing to keep the salad moist.
- If you like your arugula to be lightly cooked or wilted, go ahead and mix that into the pasta right before putting it in the fridge to cool. The heat of the pasta will soften the arugula!
Recipe FAQs
So many things can be added to this Instant Pot Pasta Salad! Feel free to add a lot more veggies (peppers, mushrooms, corn, etc.), proteins of choice, and any cheeses as well! Make it a bit spicy by adding some red pepper flakes or hot sauce!
Store leftover pasta salad in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week. Always check for any impurities before consuming leftovers.
For most of my pasta Instant Pot recipes, I love to do high pressure for 4 minutes, then 5 minute natural release. There are a lot of different ways to cook pasta in the Instant Pot, but this is my preference!
If you enjoyed this recipe, you may also like:
Creamy Vegan Tuscan Pasta (Instant Pot)
Creamy Vegan Beef And Shells (Instant Pot)
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Vegan Pasta Salad
Equipment
- Knife
- Cutting Board
Ingredients
- 16 ounces Penne pasta
- 1 ½ cups Italian dressing
- 4 cups Vegetable broth
- 1 cup Cherry tomatoes sliced
- 1 cup Cucumber diced
- 3 cups Arugula
Instructions
- To your Instant Pot or pressure cooker, add 16 ounces of pasta along with 1 ½ cups of Italian dressing and 4 cups of vegetable broth.
- Close the lid and set the valve to sealing.
- Pressure cook on HIGH for 4 minutes. It may take 5-10 minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure before the 4 minutes begin.
- Once the 4 minutes are up, press CANCEL and then let the pressure release naturally (meaning don't do anything) for 5 minutes.
- After the 5 minute natural release, switch the valve to venting and manually release any remaining pressure until the floating pin drops.
- Remove the lid and stir the pasta. There should be a small amount of broth/dressing left in the pot.
- Place the cooked pasta into a very large bowl or other container, and put it in the fridge for about 1 hour or until it is cooled.
- Once cool, remove from the fridge and add the chopped cucumber, the sliced tomatoes, and the fresh arugula.
- Toss these all together until very well combined.
- Taste the dish and season with salt and pepper to your liking.
- If you consume dairy and would like to add cheese or anything extra, do so at the end.
- Serve cool and enjoy!
Notes
- To get the pasta to cool more quickly in the fridge, remove it from the Instant Pot container. Place it in a large and wide bowl, so that there are fewer layers stacked on top of each other. You can even spread the noodles out on a baking sheet. This will allow it to cool as fast as possible.
- Don't be concerned by a small amount of leftover broth and dressing at the end of the cooking process. This excess liquid will mostly be absorbed and it will act as a dressing to keep the salad moist.
- If you like your arugula to be lightly cooked or wilted, go ahead and mix that into the pasta right before putting it in the fridge to cool. The heat of the pasta will soften the arugula!
- Nutrition Information is for 1 serving, which is ⅛th of this recipe.
- Calories: 261 cal
- Total Fat: 3.4 grams
- Total Carb: 51 grams
- Protein: 8.3 grams
Anne Anne St Pierre says
Is there a good substitute for arugala? Iliked it all but the bitter taste lf the Arugala.
Emily says
Of course! Feel free to use baby spinach or any other leafy green that you like! You can also omit entirely if you prefer!
Kim says
Can this still be made without a pressure cooker?
Emily says
Yes absolutley! Just boil the pasta as normal, but throw some of the dressing in the pot while boiling!
Farrah says
Have you ever tried to make this with gluten free pasta? Wondering if it would still follow the same cooking times etc.
Emily says
Hi, Farrah! Unfortunately, I haven't tried this recipe with gluten-free pasta. I have heard that working with gluten-free pasta can be more difficult in the Instant Pot, so I can't recommend the swap. Sorry I couldn't be of more help about this!
Lindsay says
I found that I had a large amount of liquid still remaining in my pot when I opened it. What do you suggest to remedy that? Should I cook it longer? Should I reduce the amount of liquid?
Emily says
Hi! So sorry that happened! It is normal for a bit of liquid to remain after cooking, and it will be absorbed more as the salad cools/sort of act like a dressing. As long as the pasta is fully cooked and flavorful, I would just try to remove the pasta from the pot without all of the liquid. Then, if it seems dry after cooling, toss it with some excess liquid!