This Vegan Creamy Artichoke Pasta Salad is a family favorite side dish for every party and family barbeque! Easy to make and perfect for a make ahead dish!
This amazing pasta salad is packed full of tender artichokes, fresh cherry tomatoes and little bites of vegan cheese! It's creamy, slightly tangy and all things you could ever want in a pasta salad!
No family party, potluck or barbeque is complete without a good pasta salad and this is the one that'll blow your guests away!
Looking for a few other dishes to bring?? Party goers also love Caesar Potato Salad, Maple Mustard Broccoli Salad or healthy classic macaroni salad.
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Creamy Artichoke Pasta Salad is vegan, mayo free and easily made gluten free with the substitution of gluten free pasta!

Why I love it!
- It's SO tasty! Taste ALWAYS comes first! The combination of ingredients here is just on point. The salty and tender artichoke hearts, paired with the creamy vegan cheese and fresh, juicy tomatoes are what takes this creamy pasta salad to a whole new world.
- Travels well! This has been my go to pasta salad this summer for every vacation! It's been on many camping and family trips this season and we've loved it every time!
- Great for meal prep! Since it keeps so well, it's also a great option to make for work lunches or meals on the go!
- Complete meal! While pasta salad is typically a tasty side dish, this one can also be made as a complete meal! It has everything you could need! Protein & carbs from the pasta & beans. Fiber packed from the veggies and a touch of fats from the vegan cheese, tahini and artichoke marinade! The perfect combo to keep you happy, energized and satisfied!
How to make Vegan Artichoke Pasta Salad
I love everything about this recipe. Including how truly simple it is to make! It can be broken down into three simple steps:
- Cook & Cool the Pasta
- Prep a few things (cut the tomatoes, cheese & artichoke hearts)
- Mix it all together.
That's it! Let's break it down a little more...
1. Cook & Cool the Pasta
Cook your pasta according to the instructions on the box! (They know how the pasta they made cooks best, right?)
Then when it's done, drain it really well and rinse it with cold water to stop the cooking process and to cool that pasta down super fast! Drain it really well.
2. Prep the rest
It doesn't take much work to make this recipe, but there are a few things you need to prep. Get your large mixing bowl ready and then do the following:
First, half the cherry tomatoes and toss them in the bowl.
Then, pour the marinade from your jarred artichoke hearts into the mixing bowl and roughly chop the artichokes before adding them to the bowl as well.
Last thing you'll need that knife for is cubing up the vegan block cheese! I really love Daiya's Smoked Gouda for this recipe, but use whatever is convenient for you.
3. Mix it all up
Finally, all that's left is dumping in all the remaining ingredients and your cooled & drained pasta and mix it all up! Taste it, adjust the salt as needed and pop that baby in the fridge until you're ready to chow down!

Tip: If you're feeling fancy, adding some fresh basil right before serving is a tasty treat!
What's the best pasta for pasta salad?
Any short cut variety of pasta is great option for pasta salad! They are convenient to eat on the go and they often had just enough nooks and crannies to really soak up the good dressing it's smothered in!
For this creamy artichoke pasta salad, I chose a nice thick fusilli that I found at my local grocery store. All those ridges and curves were perfect to soak up all those delicious flavors around it!
Other short cut pastas that would work just as well include:
- Fusilli
- Rotini
- Cavatappi
- Farfalle (bowties!)

FAQ
Creamy Pasta Salad can easily be made gluten free by simply swapping the pasta with your favorite gluten free variety!
Yes! In fact it gets even better as it chills! So make this a day in advance for easy prep!
This vegan pasta salad will stay fresh in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for 4-6 days.
White Balsamic Vinegar can be found in many grocery stores, but I buy mine here. (not an affiliate link, I just love it)
White Balsamic is made from aged white wine vinegar and has a slightly sweet and tart flavor. It's lovely for salads, like this Sugar Snap Pea Salad!
Substitute: If you need a substitute for white balsamic vinegar, I recommend using white wine vinegar or rice wine vinegar and omitting the lemon juice.
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! Take a picture and tag me on Instagram @samcookskindness !
Recipe

Creamy Artichoke Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 16 ounces fusilli (or another short cut pasta) sub gluten free if needed
- 12 ounces quartered MARINATED artichoke hearts
- 1 block, 7.1 ounces daiya smoked gouda sub any other vegan block style cheese of choice
- 20 ounces cherry tomatoes
- 1 can chickpeas or other bean of choice 15.5 ounce drained and rinsed
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
- ¼-½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½-1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- large handful fresh basil optional
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package instructions, rinse with cold water to quickly cool it down and then drain well.
- While pasta is cooking, prep the remaining ingredients and add them all to a large bowl. This includes halving the cherry tomatoes, cubing the vegan cheese and roughly chopping the artichoke hearts; adding the artichokes AND the marinade to the large bowl. After all the remaining ingredients are added to the bowl, mix well to combine.
- Add the cooked, cooled and drained pasta to the large bowl and mix. Adjust salt to taste. Chill in the fridge until ready to enjoy! Optionally, top with freshly torn basil right before serving.
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