Cilantro Sonata

a hit pasta salad in less than 30 minutes

There’s something about spring weather that makes me start craving pasta salad. A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I hosted our first BBQ as a married couple for her siblings on our little patio. For once the weather was on my side. I cooked up our famous tex-mex queso and let it stay warm in the crock pot all day, paired with chips, 3 kinds of salsa, and all sorts of make-shift nacho fixings. There were grilled veggies, buffalo twice-baked potatoes, sliders featuring our celery seed slaw and BBQ jackfruit from our upcoming book, and this creamy cilantro pasta salad. I spent waaayyy more time cooking the rest of the spread but this quick side stole the whole show. I was annoyed and proud at the same time.

This dish is light, bright, and not as acidic as some of my other pasta salads. The cilantro helps this dish pair with all kinds of cuisines, making it perfect for any potlucks or BBQs in your future. I kept it simple but you could easily add some kalamata olives and dill for a more Mediterranean profile. Or add roasted corn, bell peppers, and even some black beans. It’s really that flexible. Try to grab a small pasta with some ridges, like cavatelli, that’ll hold onto some sauce for the fullest flavor. Don’t tell anyone it took you less than 30 minutes to make, start to finish, and just accept the compliments as they roll in.

And if you’re a cilantro hater, don’t worry it’s not your fault but we’d recommend any of our other non-cilantro based pasta salads on our site . 

Creamy Cilantro Pasta Salad

Makes enough for 4-6 people

1 pound uncooked small pasta like cavatelli or orzo

3 mini cucumbers, chopped into quarter-moons ¼ inch thick or ½ one large English cucumber

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced

Sliced green onions to top

Dressing:

1 packed cup of chopped cilantro

½ cup plain, unsweetened nondairy milk

¼ cup olive oil

¼ medium white onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 cup chopped green onions

3 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

½ teaspoon salt

Pepper to taste

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. While that’s boiling, cut up the cucumbers, tomatoes, and green onions to top. Throw the cucumbers and tomatoes in a large bowl with a pinch of salt and set the green onions aside.

To make the sauce, throw the cilantro, milk, olive oil, white onion, garlic, green onions, lemon juice, rice vinegar, and salt into your food processor or blender. Run that shit until everything looks minced up and there aren’t any more big chunks of onion floating around.

When the pasta is done, drain it and run it under cool water. Place the drained pasta in the large bowl with the cucumbers and tomatoes then pour over the prepared dressing. Add some pepper then toss until everything is coated in the dressing. Taste and add more of whatever you think it needs like lemon juice or olive oil. Serve right away, topped with the sliced green onions, or let it chill in the fridge for later. This pasta salad is best eaten in the first three days it’s made so the veggies are still crisp.

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