A classic Italian vegan pasta salad dish made using garlic and breadcrumbs! This easy no-sauce pasta recipe with breadcrumbs is very appetizing!
I like to eat it straight out of the pan!
Table of Contents
Pasta at HomeGoods!
Have you ever got pasta at HomeGoods? I know, one doesn't go to HomeGoods and look for pasta but you totally should!
When I discovered their food aisle, I make it a point to check it out every time I visit. You too must check it out if haven't.
I have found some amazing truffle oil, olive oil, baking ingredients, and some amazing varieties of pasta that can be found nowhere else!
This time I got this cute heart-shaped pasta for Valentine's day from there. Being a pasta lover, I enjoy cooking different pasta recipes at home.
In fact, it is my go-to dish when I want to make something really quick. That is why I always have pasta in my pantry!
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Add garlic to every recipe!
Foods with a strong hint of garlic always appease me. I love the tantalizing aroma of it being fried in oil and the strong flavor it lends to any dish.
Garlic herb has been used for a long time in many traditional Indian and Chinese medicines as a remedy for cold, cough, bronchitis, etc.
In modern medicine, this exotic herb is advised as a health benefiting food for its anti-microbial, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, and immune-boosting, and cholesterol-lowering properties.
That's why I add garlic to every savory dish I make! It makes the dish so aromatic and appetizing! Do you love garlic too?
Here are some dishes with dominant garlic flavor:
- Spicy Garlic Roasted Almonds
- Ivy Gourd Garlic Stir-Fry
- Lasooni Matar Palak
- Chilly Garlic Noodles
- Garlic Herb Butter
- Potato Chilly Garlic Masala Toast
- Spinach Garlic Rice
- Baked Parmesan Garlic Potato Fingers
So appetizing and delicious!
Secrets of Italian cuisine
In my quest to understand food from different cuisines and cultures, I love reading different books and websites.
While reading about Italian cuisine, I realized that there is so much more to it than pasta and pizza.
One of the things that caught my attention was back then, they would also make pasta with bread crumbs! Wow!
It is said that this thrifty pasta dish is from an era when clever home cooks had to feed large families and meat and cheese were too expensive and often hard to come by.
The bread was always easily available, cheap, and extensively used. They never wasted even stale bread.
In fact, stale bread shows up in many classic Italian soups, pasta, and even desserts. We Indians, use leftover bread to make Bread Upma!
Why make this
This recipe with breadcrumbs can be made as healthy or indulgent as possible. Adding the kind of veggies, pasta, and amount of cheese depends upon you.
I feel, this dish just takes the pasta + bread combo to a whole new level! Crisp, savory breadcrumbs are the star of this dish. The simple ingredients used here are deceptively flavorful.
- Adds a nice texture to the pasta
- It's a vegan pasta salad dish and very budget-friendly
- 100% customizable
- Quick and easy to make
- Ideal recipe to use leftover bread and veggies
Ingredients needed
Basic pantry essentials are all it needs!
Pasta - Since I was making it for Valentine's day, I went with pretty heart-shaped organic pasta. But you can use any variety.
Breadcrumbs - I have used store-bought Italian breadcrumbs here.
Veggies - Mushrooms and edamame. But you can add or skip any veggies of your choice.
Garlic - Since the predominant flavor is garlic, we need lots of it and preferably fresh.
Fresh herbs - Fresh parsley works with the flavors well. Can use cilantro instead if required.
Dried Italian seasonings, red pepper flakes, olive oil, and kosher salt are the other basic ingredients needed.
Cheese - Vegan or regular Parmesan cheese.
Here's how to make it
This breadcrumbs mixture is amazing!
First, we need to prepare the seasoned breadcrumbs. Here are the steps to do so.
1. Heat olive oil
2. Add the bread crumbs to it once the garlic is slightly burnt. Toss it for 5 minutes. The crumbs will turn crispy.
3. Take it off the flame and add parsley, grated vegan Parmesan cheese
4. Mix and keep it aside for now. You can also make this in advance and store it in the fridge.
Have you made pasta this way before?
Now it's time to make the Breadcrumbs Pasta Salad.
5. Cook pasta as per instructions on the packet. Strain the water and keep it aside for now.
6. In the same pan, add olive oil, mushrooms, and edamame. Saute till all the water from the mushrooms is evaporated. This could take a couple of minutes.
7. Add salt, red pepper flakes
8. Next add the cooked pasta and mix lightly. Lastly, add the bread crumbs mixture, toss them all together and cook for another minute.
Love the crispy texture of this pasta salad.
Serving suggestions
Garnish with some dairy-free Parmesan cheese, lemon/orange zest, and oregano
Since this is a vegan no sauce pasta recipe with breadcrumbs, it can be served more like a salad. The garlic-flavored Italian breadcrumbs give it a crunchy-crispy texture and an appetizing flavor.
Breadcrumbs Pasta comes together very quickly on weeknights, date nights, or even brunches. It's also perfect for days you are feeling lazy or bored to cook!
Top tips, recommendations, and suggestions
Store-bought or homemade plain, seasoned, or Italian breadcrumbs can be used here. Use any pasta variety based on your preference.
If you can't find edamame, you can add green peas instead.
Feel free to add or skip veggies based on what you have available. You can totally make this vegan pasta salad without adding any veggies!
Using homemade breadcrumbs
If you have some leftover bread, you can quickly make some homemade breadcrumbs with it. Ciabatta breadcrumbs work well for this dish.
Just dry roast it for a couple of minutes and use it in this vegan pasta dish. Leave the crusts on for the best texture.
Substitute for breadcrumbs
You can use nutritional yeast or even crushed pretzels/crackers/cereal. If you don't have any nut allergy, coarsely grind almonds/peanuts/walnuts/hazelnuts and use.
Not vegan?
Just use regular Parmesan cheese instead of the dairy-free one. In fact, you can also skip adding cheese altogether in this pasta recipe with breadcrumbs!
What to do with leftovers?
Put them in the fridge in an airtight container. It stays well for 4-5 days. Just heat it up and serve.
You can also freeze it. To save up on cooking time, cook the pasta al dente and freeze it in a ziptop container. Just remember to allow the pasta to cool down completely before freezing it.
Got leftover breadcrumbs?
Make just the amount you need for the pasta. But if you have some leftover Italian breadcrumbs, you can use them as pizza toppings, to layer into a gratin, add it to salads, curries, stews, garnish rice-based dishes or use it to coat fritters.
You can also freeze the breadcrumbs, untoasted, for a couple of months in a ziptop container. There's no need to defrost them when you need them, just toss them in the pan straight from the freezer and toast away.
More pasta recipes
- Tomato Rotini Pasta Bake
- Alfredo Cheesy Mustard Pasta Mug Bake
- Almond Picada Pesto Spaghetti
- Indian Curry Pasta
- Edamame Mushroom Pasta Salad
- Vegan Gnocchi
- Fried Ravioli
- Mexican Casserole with Gnocchi
A comforting meal for lazy days!
If you’ve tried this Garlic Breadcrumbs Pasta Salad Recipe or any other recipe on the blog please let me know how it went by commenting below, I love hearing from you!
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Garlic Breadcrumbs Pasta Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
To prepare the seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 10-12 cloves garlic
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup parsley
- 2 tbsp vegan Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
To make the Breadcrumbs Pasta Salad
- 12 oz pasta
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups mushrooms
- 1/2 cup edamame
- 1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp Italian seasonings
- Salt
- Parmesan cheese for garnish
- 1/4 tsp Lemon/orange zest optional
- 1-2 tsp oregano optional
Instructions
To prepare the seasoned breadcrumbs
- Heat olive oil in a pan and fry the minced garlic.
- Add the bread crumbs to it once the garlic is slightly burnt. Toss it for 5 minutes. The crumbs will turn crispy.
- Take it off the flame and add parsley, grated vegan Parmesan cheese, and pepper.
- Mix and keep it aside for now. You can also make this in advance and store it in the fridge.
- Now it's time to make the Breadcrumbs Pasta Salad.
To make the Breadcrumbs Pasta Salad
- Cook pasta as per instructions on the packet. Strain the water and keep it aside for now.
- In the same pan, add olive oil, mushrooms, and edamame. Saute till all the water from the mushrooms is evaporated. This could take a couple of minutes.
- Add salt, red pepper flakes, and Italian seasonings. Saute for another 2 minutes.
- Next add the cooked pasta and mix lightly. Lastly, add the bread crumbs mixture, toss them all together and cook for another minute.
- Garnish with some dairy-free Parmesan cheese, lemon/orange zest, and oregano. Serve this vegan pasta dish warm with some hot soup and/or breadsticks or maybe some wine!
Notes
Nutrition
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Who would of know something so simple as breadcrumbs could be so good! It taste so great with the pasta!
I know right? It's really good
Never heard of breadcrumb salad. Will definitely give this a try. I love trying new things.
yes, its very different! Thank you.
The addition of mushrooms and edamame is intriguing to me!! Bookmarked to try this weekend! Thanks so much for the recipe 🙂
I love that combo! Do try them. Thank you
I love checking out the food aisle at Home Goods! They really have some unique and delicious things there! This pasta dish looks so flavorful, and something I can even get my kids to eat! I'm putting it on the menu for this weekend! Yum!
Yay! good to know that! Love Homegoods!
Very tasty dish this has such a great crunch to it with the breadcrumbs this is delicious!