Cilantro Lime Pasta Salad

This cilantro lime pasta salad is light, vibrant, and refreshing! It combines bow-tie pasta with cherry tomatoes, corn, avocados, and a cilantro-lime dressing, creating the perfect summer recipe. Whether you're looking for a crowd-pleasing dish for your next potluck or a quick and easy dinner, this pasta salad is sure to impress.

Why you'll love this recipe

• Texture heaven: From the al dente pasta to the creamy avocado and the juicy cherry tomatoes, each bite offers the perfect medley of textures.
• Quick & easy: Just boil the pasta, mix the dressing, and assemble everything in a bowl. You can have this colorful pasta salad ready in no time!
• Healthy: Packed with fresh vegetables and dressed in a light, dairy-free dressing, this cilantro lime pasta salad provides healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals.

Summery cilantro lime pasta salad

Along with my go-to orzo pesto salad, this cilantro lime pasta salad is a vibrant, refreshing recipe that I make on repeat when summer rolls around! It’s a quick, nutritious meal that comes together in less than 30 minutes.

Prepared with a base of cashews, the cilantro lime dressing has an irresistible fresh, zesty, and creamy flavor. Once combined with bow-tie pasta and summer vegetables, this salad is a total knockout!

Whether you serve it as a side, a main, or a potluck dish, it’s versatile enough to fit any occasion. But my favorite part is just how easy it is to whip together!

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Bow-tie pasta: I think the shape of bow-tie pasta (farfalle) perfectly catches the cilantro lime dressing, but you can substitute it with any short pasta like rotini, fusilli, or macaroni.
• Sweet corn: Adds a burst of juicy sweetness. I used canned sweet corn, but you can replace it with an equal amount of frozen or fresh corn, depending on availability.
• Other veggies: Cherry tomatoes bring a burst of juiciness, avocados provide a buttery texture, and red onion adds a sharp bite and pop of color. For a milder taste, use green onions or shallots. You can also use peas or edamame instead of avocado.
• Cilantro: For the salad and the dressing. If you’re not a fan of cilantro, parsley will work in a pinch, subtly altering the taste without losing the freshness.
• Cashews: I use raw, unsalted cashews as the base of the dressing, giving it a rich, creamy consistency. Blanched almonds will work, but the texture won’t be as smooth.
• Nutritional yeast: Gives the dressing a cheesy, umami-rich taste. Look for nutritional yeast at any bulk food store or online.
• Lime: I use both lime juice and freshly grated zest in the dressing for a bright, vibrant note. If you don’t have limes, you can use lemons instead.
• Garlic: Adds a burst of savory zest, giving the dressing more oomph. I suggest fresh garlic for the best results, but you can use garlic powder if that’s all you have.
• White vinegar: Provides an extra acidic element to the dressing, balancing the richness of the cashews. White wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar also works well.
• Maple syrup: To balance the savory and tangy ingredients. Make sure it’s 100% pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup. Agave syrup also works. 

How to make cilantro lime pasta salad

• Step 1: First, soak the cashews in boiling water for about 25 minutes. They’re ready to blend once they can be easily split in half between your fingers.

• Step 2: While the cashews are soaking, zest and juice the lime. Remember, only zest the outer green part of the lime to avoid the bitter taste that comes from the white pith.

• Step 3: Blend the soaked and drained cashews with fresh cilantro, lime juice, lime zest, and the other dressing ingredients until smooth.

• Step 4: Cook your pasta according to package instructions until it's just al dente, then drain and rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking process and cool it down quickly.

• Step 5: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta with the corn, cherry tomatoes, sliced avocado, and diced red onion.

• Step 6: Drizzle the cilantro lime dressing over the pasta mixture, tossing everything together to ensure the pasta and veggies are evenly coated.

• Step 7: Serve your cilantro lime pasta salad immediately for the freshest taste, or let it chill in the fridge to enhance the flavors.

Serving Suggestions

This cilantro lime pasta salad works well as a light main, but I love serving it with other salads and side dishes. Try it with options like dairy-free coleslaw, watermelon, cucumber, feta salad, vegan couscous salad, vegan bean salad, and dairy-free potato salad.

Top your salad with vegan goat cheese crumbles for an extra creamy texture and a burst of flavor. For the ultimate barbecue spread, serve it with summer favorites like grilled vegetables and plant-based burgers.

Storage

This cilantro lime pasta salad is great for next-day leftovers! Just follow these storage tips:

• Fridge: You can keep the salad in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days.
• Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing this pasta salad because it will affect the texture and freshness of the pasta and veggies once it’s thawed.
• Prep ahead: You can cook the pasta and blend the dressing ahead of time. Just mix in the fresh ingredients and toss it with dressing when you’re ready to serve it.

Top tips

• Don’t overcook the pasta: Aim for al dente pasta. It shouldn't be too soft or mushy since it will continue to absorb the dressing.
• Chill the pasta: Rinse the cooked pasta under cold water to stop the cooking process and cool it down. This step will keep your salad light and refreshing.
• Let it marinate: Chill the salad in the fridge for at least 15 minutes before serving so the flavors have a chance to meld together.
• Add avocado last: Mix in the avocado right before serving to prevent it from browning.

FAQ

More pasta recipes

If you love this cilantro lime pasta salad as much as me, check out these pasta dishes:

• Vegan Miso Pasta: A rich, creamy, and ultra-comforting dish. 
• Linguine pasta: A simple Italian dinner served with garlic-herb sauce.
• Vegan Baked Pasta: A vegan spin on TikTok’s viral baked pasta recipe.
• Lemon orzo salad: Zesty orzo salad filled with Mediterranean flavors.