Things I am eternally searching for: a page-turner of a book, comfortable but chic travel pants, and a crowd-pleasing gluten-free potluck side dish. This easy olive pasta salad recipe may not be a book or pants, but it most certainly checks that last box.
Now that I live in rural California, I cook at home more than when I lived in the bigger cities, and, once spring rolls around, that means backyard BBQs, block parties, and impromptu potlucks. The whole family is often involved, so you might have kids, parents, and grandparents all invited. With that, there are usually various diets, from vegetarian to gluten-free.
All that to say, I’m forever taking note of potluck-worthy dishes from crowd-friendly dips (this Olive dip and the Romesco dip are favorites) to easy desserts. But, as someone with celiac disease who likes to eat seasonal, whole foods, a dish like this Gluten Free Easy Green Olive Pasta Salad Recipe is a winner.
Having grown up in California, I’m partial to breezy and sunny dishes loaded with high-quality ripe produce, like the Golden State. So, when my friends at California Grown and California Ripe Olives asked me to make a potluck side dish, I immediately thought of doing a lighter take on classic pasta salad.
Why You’ll Love This Olive Pasta Salad
The standard pasta salad formula is cooked pasta plus bottled dressing or mayonnaise and a few vegetables. But I wanted something just as easy to put together, a bit healthier, and still packed with fresh flavor.
After a wedge salad at our local pizza spot, I dreamed of combining those bold flavors of bacon, blue cheese, and tomatoes into a summery olive pasta salad. The result is this Green Olive Pasta Salad Recipe. Made with California Ripe Olives, charred corn, juicy tomatoes, and a homemade zesty Italian dressing, it’s ideal for summer BBQs, potlucks, or an easy weeknight meal. The combination of briny olives, tangy dressing, and crisp veggies hits all the right flavor notes and keeps everyone coming back for more.
This olive pasta salad recipe is everything you want in a warm-weather dish: fresh, vibrant, and satisfying without being heavy. It uses gluten-free pasta and can easily be made vegetarian or vegan, making it customizable for any crowd. As someone who grew up in a big family, I know the importance of recipes that go the distance. So, I made sure this olive pasta salad makes 8 to 10 servings to hold its own on the potluck buffet.
Green Olive Pasta Salad Recipe Ingredients
Ready to try this recipe for yourself? Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy olive pasta salad recipe (most of which you may have in your kitchen):
- Homemade zesty Italian dressing—Made with buttermilk, champagne vinegar, garlic, olive oil, and spices—is like the bottled kind but better. You could use this infused lemon olive oil if you want even more flavor, FYI.
- Pasta (gluten-free if desired) – Rigatoni, penne, or your favorite short pasta shape works best.
- Diced bacon – Adds savory, crispy richness (remove for vegetarians).
- California Ripe Olives are juicy, bold, and loaded with flavor. You can use green olives or black olives.
- Cherry tomatoes – Sweet, juicy, and full of California sunshine.
- Charred corn kernels – Add a smoky sweetness and summery twist.
- Fresh dill – Brightens everything with herbal freshness.
- Crumbled blue cheese – For a punch of tangy creaminess.
How to Make This Recipe
If you make the dressing and cook the pasta and bacon beforehand, this olive pasta salad recipe comes together in less than 15 minutes. (Even if you have to do it all from scratch, it takes around 30 minutes, FYI.) Here are the main steps:
Char the corn over an open flame. Let it cool slightly before cutting off the kernels.
Combine the pasta, tomatoes, corn, olives, and two-thirds of the dressing in a large bowl.
The olive pasta salad recipe should be chilled for 1 to 6 hours before serving to let the flavors meld. Just before serving, stir in the remaining dressing, crisped bacon, crumbled cheese, and fresh dill.
All About California Ripe Olives
This olive pasta salad is easy because it uses many always-in-season ingredients (and always in our pantry), like California Ripe Olives.
California Ripe Olives have a smooth, nutty flavor and mild taste that sets them apart from other olives on the market. That distinctive flavor results from a time-honored curing and canning process in California. After being grown with care, often by multi-generational family farms, the olives are harvested, cured to remove natural bitterness, and then carefully canned in a salt-brine solution.
California Ripe Olives are a versatile pantry staple. They can enhance various dishes with their mild, buttery flavor. They are perfect for appetizers, salads, or as a quick, flavorful meal addition.
Tips For Better Pasta Salad Recipes
While we’re on the subject, here are five key tips to instantly elevate your pasta salad game:
Use Short, Sturdy Pasta With Texture
Choose shapes like fusilli, farfalle, orecchiette, or rotini that hold onto dressing and mix-ins. Skip delicate noodles—they’ll fall apart or get mushy.
Salt Your Water Like the Sea
Pasta is the base, so season it well from the start. It should be flavorful before it touches the dressing.
Cook Just To Al Dente
Unlike hot pasta dishes, pasta for salad benefits from being a touch more tender. It firms up as it cools, so slightly overcook it to avoid chewy bites. However, if you are using gluten-free pasta, we’d still recommend cooking the pasta slightly al dente since gluten-free pasta doesn’t hold its shape as well as regular pasta.
Rinse Until Cool, Refresh Before Serving
Toss the pasta with about two-thirds of the dressing when it’s just cooked but cool (don’t try to combine pre-cooked refrigerated pasta with the dressing)—it absorbs flavor better. Chill it, then add the remaining dressing and the bacon, cheese, and herbs before serving to bring it back to life.
Balance Texture and Flavor
Mix in a combo of creamy (cheese, mayo, avocado), crunchy (nuts, veggies), briny (California Ripe Olives), and fresh (herbs, citrus) elements. Use acid—vinegar or lemon juice—to keep things bright, not bland.
Frequently Asked Questions About Olive Pasta Salad
Pasta salad, as we know it, began gaining popularity in mid-20th-century America, and Italian cold pasta dishes likely inspired it. Over time, home cooks began adding pantry staples like olives, pickled vegetables, and bottled dressings to make the dish more convenient and flavor-packed.
Thanks to its ease, bold flavors, and make-ahead potential, the olive pasta salad recipe became a staple of potlucks and picnics. Pasta salad has become a go-to dish because it’s affordable, adaptable, and incredibly satisfying. It travels well, can be made beforehand, and fits just about any dietary need with a few simple swaps.
Absolutely! This olive pasta salad recipe works well with any short pasta shape, such as rotini, farfalle, fusilli, or orecchiette. We used gluten-free pasta here to make it more inclusive, but feel free to use what you have on hand. Just cook until al dente and rinse the pasta so it doesn’t stick together.
To make the salad more of a main dish, try adding diced avocado, grilled chicken, chickpeas, or cooked shrimp. Add vegetables like cucumbers, bell peppers, artichoke hearts, or fresh herbs like basil, oregano, or parsley. Crumbled feta cheese or diced fresh mozzarella are also excellent additions if you want to change the cheese.
This olive pasta salad recipe features a homemade zesty Italian dressing that’s our take on the classic bottled version—but way better. It's creamy, tangy, and light, made with buttermilk, champagne vinegar, garlic, paprika, and olive oil. You can prepare the dressing five days in advance and keep it chilled until you’re ready to toss your salad.
What to Serve With This
This olive pasta salad recipe pairs beautifully with grilled mains like chicken, steak, or even grilled artichokes. It’s a natural fit for a summer potluck or picnic and complements other seasonal dishes like our Cucumber Herb Brown Rice Salad or Citrus Walnut Quinoa Feta Salad.
More Recipes Using California Ripe Olives
Feeling inspired to make even more olive recipes? Here are a few of our readers’ favorites:
Get A Personalized Travel Itinerary
Gluten Free Green Olive Pasta Salad Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 medium corn cob shucked
- 1 (6 ounce) can California Ripe Olives drained and smashed
- 1 cup zesty italian dressing
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes quartered
- 8 ounces pasta cooked, rinsed, and cooled short pasta like rigatoni, penne, or ziti
- 6 bacon slices cooked, drained, and diced
- 2 ounces crumbled blue cheese
- 1 ounce fresh dill stemmed and finely chopped
- kosher salt and Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Shuck the corn and cook over open flame or on a grill until charred on all sides, about 5 minutes. Set aside, then, when cool, cut the kernels off the cob.
- In a large bowl, combine all the cooked and cooled pasta with two-thirds of the dressing, the tomatoes, olives, and corn. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. You can serve it immediately, but it's better when it has rested for at least 1 hour (and up to 6) before serving.
- Serve it as a cold pasta salad or at room temperature. Before serving, add the remaining dressing and the bacon, cheese, and herbs, stir to combine (get all the way to the bottom of the bowl so it's well combined), and add more salt or pepper as desired. (The pasta salad can be made up to 2 days ahead, but we suggest you wait to add the herbs and pancetta before serving!)
