Garlic Breadcrumbs Pasta Salad

A classic Italian vegan pasta salad dish using garlic and breadcrumbs! This easy no-sauce pasta recipe with breadcrumbs is very appetizing!

Course entree, Main Course, pasta

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Servings people

Calories 355.27kcal

Author Priya Lakshminarayan

Equipment

skillet

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

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.

Nutrition