Pasta salad in the Instant Pot? Believe it! This Italian Pasta Salad is made with chickpeas and tender pasta in a tangy Italian vinaigrette. Served warm or at room temperature, this is an easy lunch, side dish, or potluck favorite.
This pasta salad has been a go-to lunch for us throughout the holidays when we’ve had family and friends stopping by. It’s great to be able to toss everything in the Instant Pot and walk away. Come back later and stir in some mix-ins for color and flavor. In cooler weather, I serve this warm, straight out of the Instant Pot or even make one of my favorite Instant Pot pasta soups or Instant Pot Chicken Pasta instead. When the weather warms up, it makes a potluck-friendly pasta salad that’s great chilled or at room temperature.
Instant Pot Pasta Salad is:
- Tangy
- Fresh
- Filling
- Colorful
- One Bowl
- Easy (!)
6-Minute Instant Pot Guide
Instant Pot Italian Pasta Salad comes straight from The Ultimate Guide to 6-Minute Instant Pot Meals {Classics}. This one is Italian Vinaigrette + Chickpeas + Pasta. Check out that post for many other recipes that use the pot-in-pot method to make complete meals right in the Instant Pot.
Ingredients
- Italian Vinaigrette - Make your own vinaigrette using the recipe below, make a vinaigrette with your own favorite flavors using this post, or use a store-bought Italian Vinaigrette (I have a soft spot for Kraft’s Zesty Italian Dressing).
- Chickpeas / Garbanzo Beans - You’ll need two cans of these beans. They may be labeled as either "chickpeas" or "garbanzo beans" (they're the same thing). Be sure to drain and rinse them first.
- Broccoli - I love steamed broccoli in this for something green, though it’s totally optional. Steam the broccoli first so it’s nice and tender.
- Dry Italian Salami - Look for this variety of salami in a roll or pre-sliced. Either way works, though if it’s not sliced, it will take a bit more work for you to prep it. This comes in spicy and mild varieties and adds so much flavor to the pasta salad. Pepperoni will work too!
- Cheddar Cheese - I love the rich flavor of Sharp White Cheddar Cheese in this salad, but an Italian cheese like mozzarella is great as well.
- Sun-dried Tomatoes in Oil - These add umami flavor and a subtle sweetness to the salad, as well as a bright color. Fresh cherry tomatoes, sliced in half, would be great too.
How to make Italian Pasta Salad in the Instant Pot
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- Combine chickpeas and vinaigrette - Mix these two things up right in the bowl of the Instant Pot.
- Add pot-in-pot pasta - Add a trivet and bowl approved for use in the Instant Pot. Fill the bowl with pasta and then add water right up to the top of the bowl. The water should completely cover the pasta by an inch or two to allow the pasta to expand. Check out this post on the Pot-in-Pot Method for more on this handy technique for cooking two things in the Instant Pot at once.
- Pressure cook 6 minutes - Close and lock the lid. Move the pressure valve to “sealing”. Pressure cook on high for 6 minutes.
- Natural release pressure for 10 minutes - After the pressure cook time has finished, leave the machine on the “warming” function and let the pressure natural release for 10 minutes. (Set a timer or keep a close eye on the machine. If you leave it for more than 10 minutes, the pasta may overcook.)
- Manually release remaining pressure - Flip the pressure valve to “venting” to release any remaining pressure.
- Drain pasta - Remove the pasta and drain it well.
- Combine and add mix-ins - Combine drained pasta with chickpeas and vinaigrette. Stir in mix-ins (salami, broccoli, cheese, and sun-dried tomatoes).
Possible Variations
- Make it vegetarian - Just skip the salami for a vegetarian version of Instant Pot Italian Pasta Salad. The chickpeas provide a great source of protein, so the dish is super satisfying either way.
- Add / change vegetables - Load this up with any vegetables you like. It’s best to cook them separately before adding them to the pasta salad, so saute them in a skillet or steam them in the microwave first. If you’re making a spring version, try peas and asparagus. For a fresh version with some crunch, try diced bell peppers.
- Serve with a whole protein - To easily make this dish feel like a complete meal, skip the salami and serve the pasta salad with seared salmon, chicken breast, shrimp, or tofu slices on top.
More Pasta Salad Ideas
- Pasta Salad with Creamy Chipotle Dressing - This creamy, spicy, packed with flavor pasta salad with a chipotle dressing is a fun twist on a classic. This is a great way to spice up the pasta salad routine…literally!
- Greek Pasta Salad with Feta, Tomato, Kalamata Olives and Sweet Basil Vinaigrette - This Greek pasta salad is satisfying in all the best ways. Tomatoes and basil add fresh flavor and color. The salty olives and feta cheese are balanced with my Sweet Basil Vinaigrette.
Favorite Tools
- 6-Quart Instant Pot Duo - This is the Instant Pot / pressure cooker I use to test all meals on this site. It easily makes enough to serve the 5 members of our family (3 are young kids). Though this recipe was not tested in the larger 8-Quart Instant Pot, it should work in that version as well as in any other brand of pressure cooker in the 6 to 8 quart size range.
- Instant Pot Rack - This 2-inch rack is just the right height to hold a bowl above the other ingredients to cook using pot-in-pot method described in this recipe.
- 7-Cup Round Pyrex Dish - I currently test all recipes using the pot-in-pot method with this oven-safe Pyrex dish. I love it so much that I bought several. It comes with a lid, so after cooking pasta, rice, potatoes, or any other recipe in this bowl, I just add the lid and put it in the fridge - saves time and dishes! The Pyrex 7-cup dish will fit in the 6-quart or 8-quart Instant Pot. In earlier recipes you will find on this site, I used the medium sized bowl that came in this Anchor 3-Piece Set of Glass Mixing Bowls which also works well.
- OXO Pressure Cooker Sling - This tool is especially hand if you're cooking pasta in the pot-in-pot method. It makes it easy to lift a hot pot of water out of the Instant Pot without burning your hands.
Instant Pot Italian Pasta Salad
Pasta salad in the Instant Pot? Believe it! This Italian Pasta Salad is made with chickpeas in a tangy Italian vinaigrette that cook at the same time as the pasta using the pot-in-pot method. Served warm or at room temperature, this is an easy lunch, side dish, or potluck favorite.
Servings: 8
Calories: 501kcal
Cost: $9.00
Equipment
- 6-quart Instant Pot / pressure cooker
- 2-inch tall Metal Trivet
- 7-inch wide Glass Bowl
Ingredients
Italian Vinaigrette (see note)
- ¼ cup Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning (look for pre-mixed blend or use a combination of dried herbs to make your own Italian Herb Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Honey
- 2 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ⅔ cup Olive Oil
Pasta Salad
- 2 14oz cans Chickpeas / Garbanzo Beans, drained and rinsed
- 12 oz Pasta (any variety with a 10-12 minute recommended cook time; I like Barilla Cellentani)
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 10 oz Broccoli, chopped into small florets
- 4 oz Dry Italian Salami, chopped or cubed
- 4 oz Sharp White Cheddar Cheese, cubed
- 6 oz Sun-dried Tomatoes in Oil, drained and chopped
Instructions
Make Vinaigrette
- If making your own vinaigrette, whisk together red wine vinegar, Italian seasoning, honey, mustard, salt, and black pepper. Add olive oil, while whisking. (Alternatively, you can combine all of the ingredients in a jar with a tight lid and shake until the vinaigrette is smooth.)
Make Salad
- To the bowl of the Instant Pot, add vinaigrette and chickpeas. Stir well.
- Top the chickpeas with a 2” metal trivet. Place a 7” wide glass bowl on top of the trivet. (Be sure that both the rack and bowl are approved for use in the Instant Pot.)
- Fill the bowl with pasta. Add ¼ teaspoon salt and pour water over top so that the pasta is covered by 1-2 inches of water. (The pasta will expand as it cooks, so you’ll need this extra water.)
- Close and lock the lid.
- Set the pressure valve to Sealing.
- Cook on manual / high pressure for 6 minutes.
- When done cooking, leave the machine on Warming (most machines automatically revert to this after cooking). Allow pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes. (Tip: I like to set a kitchen timer so that I don’t get distracted and forget.)
- While the Instant Pot is working, place broccoli florets in a microwave-safe bowl. Add 2 tablespoon water and cover with a paper towel. Microwave on high until broccoli is tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Return to the Instant Pot and manually release any remaining pressure.
- Carefully remove the bowl of pasta. Drain pasta.
- Pour drained pasta back into Instant Pot and stir to combine with vinaigrette and chickpeas.
- Stir steamed broccoli, salami, cheese, and tomatoes into pasta.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
You can definitely use store-bought Italian Vinaigrette to save time. (I’m partial to Kraft’s Zesty Italian Dressing with this recipe.)
Nutrition
Calories: 501kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 640mg | Potassium: 615mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 647IU | Vitamin C: 53mg | Calcium: 150mg | Iron: 2mg
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