Pasta & Red Bean Salad

Pasta salads usually run sweet and watery. This one runs savoury and substantial, with cooked red kidney beans adding protein and body alongside rotini or ziti pasta. Diced zucchini, green pepper, tomato, and chopped green olives add colour and crunch, and the dressing leans Mediterranean-meets-Southwest with chili powder, coriander, paprika, and a touch of sage.

Eggless mayonnaise (Vegenaise, Just Mayo, or similar) keeps the salad fully vegan, which is increasingly useful for mixed-diet potlucks where everyone needs to eat. Regular mayonnaise works fine if vegan isn’t a requirement.

Serve at room temperature, not cold. Pasta salads taste flat straight out of the fridge because cold dulls flavour. Letting it sit on the counter for 30 minutes before serving lets the seasonings come back into focus.

Pro Tips

• Cook the pasta to al dente, not soft. Pasta keeps absorbing dressing as it sits and overcooked noodles turn mushy by the second hour.
• Rinse the cooked pasta in cold water to stop the cooking and keep the noodles from sticking together as they cool.
• Drain and rinse canned kidney beans well if using canned. The thick can liquid throws off the dressing texture.
• Let the finished salad sit at least 30 minutes before serving so the flavours meld. Even better the next day.

Variations

• Sub black beans or chickpeas for the kidney beans for a different bean profile.
• Add a half cup of corn kernels for extra Southwest character.
• Swap the green olives for chopped pickled jalapeños and add a squeeze of lime for a zippier, more Tex-Mex version.