Today, I’m transforming your lunch with a creamy and delicious Cold Vegetarian Pasta, perfect for summer and light!
How to prepare a pasta salad with eggplant, cherry tomatoes, and chickpeas?
Cook the pasta al dente, cool it down, combine with sautéed eggplant, chickpeas, and cherry tomatoes. Season with a yogurt cream and let it rest in the fridge before serving.
With the arrival of the good season, the desire for fresh, light, and easy dishes grows, even prepared in advance.
Pasta salad is one of the queens of summer: practical to take to the beach, for a nice picnic, for a quick lunchbox at the office or to serve for a terrace lunch.
I prepared it following my personal taste, a vegetarian version, nutritious and fresh. Red and yellow cherry tomatoes, sautéed eggplant, and chickpeas.
No mayonnaise, nor heavy cheeses, but a creamy touch given by a secret ingredient: natural white yogurt, which makes it delicate and very pleasant.
And especially: no need to purge eggplants! I used a sweet variety that cooks in a few minutes without any bitter aftertaste.
Rich in taste, balanced in nutrients, and, if you use gluten-free pasta and plant-based yogurt, it can also be suitable for those intolerant to gluten and lactose.
I’m sure this creamy pasta salad with vegetables and yogurt will become one of your favorite cold pastas!
I’ll tell you everything in detail: the preparation, the tricks to store it best, the variations you can try, and also which wine pairs best. Ready to bring summer to the table?
Let’s get to the stove together and I’ll show you how to prepare a cold pasta with chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, and sautéed eggplant!
You’ll see, it will capture you at the first taste!
Wait! Here are some other recipes that might interest you:
- Cost: Affordable
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 2 people
- Cooking methods: Stove, Air Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients
- 7 oz pasta (any shape)
- 4 oz canned chickpeas
- 1 eggplant (sweet variety)
- 1 container natural white yogurt
- 5 oz cherry tomatoes (red and yellow)
- A few tablespoons olive oil
- chopped parsley
- garlic (only if desired)
- to taste lemon juice
- salt
- to taste pepper (only if desired)
Tools
- Bowl
- Saucepan
- Skillet
- Chopping board
- Lemon squeezer
- Small bowl
Steps
First, boil the pasta and drain it al dente in a nice cold bowl, this will stop the cooking.
I used rigate farfalle but you can choose the shape you prefer and have available in your pantry.
To prevent sticking, season with a little oil and let it cool completely.
Wash the eggplant well and cut it into not too large cubes.
Proceed directly to cooking WITHOUT salting it and read at the end of the article to find out why 😉
Sauté it in a skillet with extra virgin olive oil, a crushed garlic clove, and a handful of chopped parsley. It should be soft but well-browned. Adjust the salt.
To save time, you can cook the eggplant while the pasta is boiling, and you’ll be halfway through! Once cooked, let the eggplant cool too!
Wash and cut the red and yellow cherry tomatoes in halves or quarters, depending on their size. Rinse the precooked chickpeas under running water and drain them well.
Prepare the creamy dressing: in a small bowl, combine olive oil, natural white yogurt, lemon juice, and salt. If you like it and have no problems with gastritis, a pinch of pepper and some garlic will fit perfectly!
Mix until you obtain a smooth and fragrant sauce. Usually, to enrich pasta salads, mayonnaise or other sauces are used. This time I chose a light dressing, perfect also for those on a diet.
The natural yogurt, in fact, gives a unique creaminess to this dish without making it heavy, so we can enjoy it without guilt!
We’re ready! In a large bowl, combine the pasta, eggplants, cherry tomatoes, chickpeas, and dress with the yogurt dressing.
A generous handful of finely chopped fresh parsley and mix well. Let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and serve cold.
As promised, without effort and stress, we’ve prepared together a fresh, tasty, and light vegetarian recipe. Perfect for summer lunches, picnics, and meal prep!
Let me know in the comments if you’ll try this cold pasta and come back soon to discover the next recipes!
Article protected by copyright © – Gabriella Geroni © All rights reserved
👩🍳🥣 SOME VARIANTS that I recommend trying:
1) Feta or mozzarella, for an extra Mediterranean touch.
2) Tuna or mackerel, for a more protein-rich and flavorful version.
3) Grilled zucchini or roasted peppers, alternatives to eggplants to change the taste.
4) Pesto: replace the dressing with a tablespoon of pesto (also vegan) for an even more fragrant cold pasta.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Do eggplants really need to be purged with salt?
It depends. Not all eggplants need to be purged.
🔎When it’s better to do so:
If the eggplants are large, very ripe, or the classic variety with dark skin.
They come from a garden or traditional farming, so they are not selected for sweetness.
If you want to fry them: salt also helps to get rid of some water, making them less spongy.
✅ When you can skip it (as in this recipe):
If you use small eggplants or sweet varieties (like violet or round eggplants).
You cook them directly in the pan with oil and aromas, especially if cut into small cubes.
👉 Tip for less experienced: If you don’t know the variety you are using, cut a thin slice and taste it raw: if it’s bitter, purge with some coarse salt for 30 minutes and then rinse. Otherwise, if it’s sweet and delicate, you can cook it right away!Can I prepare this pasta salad in advance?
Yes, even the day before. In fact, after a few hours of resting in the fridge, it’s even better because the flavors blend more.
What type of pasta is best to use?
I recommend short pasta like farfalle, fusilli, or penne rigate: they hold their shape well and capture the dressing better
Can yogurt be replaced?
Of course! You can use Greek yogurt, plant-based yogurt (soy, oat, or coconut unsweetened), or a ricotta cream for a richer variant. If you want a completely dairy-free alternative, you can opt for a sauce based on tahini and lemon.
How do you store cold pasta?
In an airtight container in the refrigerator, for a maximum of 2-3 days. It’s not recommended to freeze it, as the texture would suffer.
🍷 Which wine to pair?
A fresh and vegetal dish like this pairs well with a dry and aromatic white wine, such as a Vermentino, a Falanghina, or a Sicilian Grillo. Perfect when served cold, they enhance the herbal note of the parsley and the delicateness of the yogurt.
