Vegenaise Macaroni Pasta Salad with Celery, Carrots and Sundried Tomatoes

I haven’t made a cold pasta salad in a long time so I was excited to come up with a simple and healthy version. I also finally had a reason to try Vegenaise. VEGE-wha? Vegenaise is a dairy-free, eggless mayonnaise alternative. I heard about it through a few vegan friends and Gwyneth Paltrow (not my friend) saying how great it was.

For this recipe I included the usual celery and carrots, and added some raw onions and crushed garlic, but you can omit them. I also added some diced sundried tomatoes for a bit of sweetness. This recipe will taste good with chicken or shrimp, or even some walnuts or pecans, but I wanted to keep this one vegetarian. When my husband ate it, he smiled and gave me the thumbs up. Success! Then when I told him it wasn’t real mayo he couldn’t believe it. So give Vegenaise a try… The non-vegans won’t even know the difference!

4 cups cooked small pasta (macaroni, bowtie, farfalle)
3-4 large celery stalks, diced
3-4 large carrots, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 large clove of garlic, crushed
5 pieces sundried tomatoes soaked in olive oil, diced
1/2 cup vegenaise
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. dried dill
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Cook pasta. When the pasta is done, run under cold water or store in fridge for a while. Just make sure the pasta is cold before combining with other ingredients, otherwise it won’t turn out well.

In a large bowl, toss all the diced veggies, herbs, Vegenaise, mustard, vinegar and salt & pepper together with the chilled pasta. Make sure everything is evenly coated on the pasta. Serve right away or place the salad in a covered bowl in the fridge for a few hours or overnight to let the flavors mix.

Total Time: 20-30 minutes
4-6 Servings