Name: Keto Pasta Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 27 min
Ingredients: 12 ounces keto-friendly pasta; 1 cup black olives (chopped); 1/2 red onion (thinly sliced); 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes (halved); 1/4 cup banana peppers (sliced); 4 ounces goat cheese (crumbled); 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil; 1/4 cup red wine vinegar; 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar; 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning; 1/2 teaspoon sea salt; 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

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As soon as warm weather hits, this keto pasta salad is the one I start craving on repeat. It’s bright, briny, and a little tangy. The real showstopper here is the dressing… one of the best I’ve had. Simple and comforting as a side dish or an easy lunch, this cold pasta salad disappears fast.

A bowl of pasta salad with cherry tomatoes, black olives, red onion, pepperoncini, and feta cheese sits on a red plaid cloth, surrounded by fresh basil, tomatoes, and wooden utensils on a gray surface.

I’ll be honest. This keto pasta salad completely surprised me.

It wasn’t the pasta. It was the flavor. The kids may or may not have witnessed me doing a little happy dance at the kitchen counter the first time I took a bite.

It's easily in my top three pasta salads ever...and I made it with low-carb pasta.

I serve it with grilled chicken or lemon pepper chicken for dinner, and then enjoy the leftovers for an easy lunch throughout the week.

Overhead view of ingredients for a pasta dish: uncooked penne, olive oil, red wine vinegar, kalamata olives, pepperoncini, goat cheese, red onion, cherry tomatoes, dried herbs, salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar.

Let’s Talk Ingredients

Keto-Friendly Pasta: Use your favorite keto-friendly pasta. This is a keto-friendly option. Here is another one. If you have more allowable carbs in your diet, I love this one.

Black Olives: I buy pre-sliced Kalamata olives, but canned olives will work here too.

Red Onion: If you are sensitive to raw onion, soak the sliced onion in ice water for about 15 minutes before drying and adding it to your salad. This will mellow the flavor a bit.

Banana Peppers: Pepperoncini can be used if you prefer.

Goat Cheese: Goat cheese adds a nice creaminess, but feel free to switch it up. Feta cheese or fresh mozzarella would both be nice in this low-carb pasta salad.

Step by Step

A pot of penne pasta boiling in water with bubbles and steam rising, as the pasta cooks on a stovetop. — Cook the keto-friendly pasta according to the package directions. Rinse with cool water and transfer to a large bowl.

A glass measuring cup with oil, black pepper, and seasonings at the bottom, viewed from above, with a metal whisk inside. — Combine the dressing ingredients in a blender.

A top-down view of a glass jar containing a creamy, brown sauce or dressing with visible black specks, set against a white background. — Blend until smooth.

An orange bowl with penne pasta, sliced red onions, Kalamata olives, grape tomatoes, and pickled peppers. Nearby are a small bowl of crumbled cheese and a jar of dressing on a white surface. — Add the other pasta salad ingredients to the bowl with the pasta.

An orange bowl filled with penne pasta, sliced red onions, cherry tomatoes, pepperoncini, and olives. A hand is pouring dressing over the ingredients. A small dish of crumbled cheese is nearby on the white surface. — Toss with dressing.

A bright orange bowl filled with cooked penne pasta and thinly sliced red onions, topped with crumbled white cheese being added from a dark blue plate. — Add the cheese and give a final toss before serving.

Tips & Tricks

Want to make it a meal? You can add diced chicken, salami, or bacon to make it more filling.
Rinse the pasta in cool water after cooking. This stops the cooking process and keeps the pasta firm, so your Italian keto pasta salad recipe keeps a better bite.
Let the salad rest for 20 to 30 minutes before serving to let the flavors combine. Stir again before serving.

Colorful close-up of penne pasta salad with cherry tomatoes, black olives, red onion slices, pepperoncini, crumbled feta cheese, and chopped parsley, mixed together for a vibrant Mediterranean dish.

A bowl of penne pasta salad topped with cherry tomatoes, sliced red onions, Kalamata olives, pepperoncini, crumbled feta cheese, and fresh herbs, set on a red and white cloth.

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Keto Pasta Salad

Prep Time15

Cook Time12

Total Time27

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 375.38kcal

Author: Wendy Polisi

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Ingredients

12 ounces keto-friendly pasta
1 cup black olives chopped
½ red onion thinly sliced
½ cup cherry tomatoes halved
¼ cup banana peppers sliced
4 ounces goat cheese crumbled

Dressing

½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a bowl.
Add the olive, onion, tomatoes, and banana peppers.
In a blender, combine the oil, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Process until smooth.
Toss the dressing with the pasta salad and top with goat cheese.

Notes

Nutritional info uses a keto pasta with 2 net carbs per serving, for a total net carbs of 4 per serving. Serving size is about 213 grams.

Nutrition