5-ingredient pasta salad with cilantro dressing and longaniza is quick to put together and requires minimal preparation.
Remember last week when I shared my cilantro dressing? Well, today I want to share a pasta salad that I made with it that you are going to love. It’s simple, yet full of flavor with a little kick of spice from the longaniza. If you’re a non-meat eater, you can definitely use soy chorizo as a substitute.
When I first made this pasta salad, I was afraid my seven-year-old son wouldn’t like it because of the spiciness from the longaniza, but to my surprise, he ate the entire serving that I gave him. Win!!
The tomatoes balance out the spiciness of the longaniza and help cool your palate at the same time.
You can prepare the cilantro dressing ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for a few days. I’d say up to five days max.
Since half of it is made with water, you’ll also need to give it a good shake when you are ready to use it because it will separate.
When you’re ready, boil the pasta according to the package instructions. You’ll want to get that started first to give it time to cool off before mixing everything together.
While the pasta is boiling, cook the longaniza until cooked through but don’t let it get crispy. Set it aside to cool off.
When the pasta is done, drain it, then rinse it with cold water. Return it to the pot, or transfer it to a mixing bowl.
Pour in the cilantro dressing and mix it into the pasta until fully combined. Then add the remaining ingredients and mix again.
As a side dish, you can serve this pasta salad to a crowd of about six to eight people.
We had it as a main dish for dinner one night and still had roughly two servings of leftovers.
For added flavor, you can also add a handful of chopped cilantro (stems removed) if you like. I’ve never been one to be stingy with cilantro because I love it so much, so that’s what I did.
Mix it all well again, and you’re done!
I hope you love it as much as we did.
Don’t forget to share this recipe with your friends and let me know how you liked it in the comments below!
Pasta Salad with Cilantro Dressing and Longaniza
Ingredients
- 1 pound Gemelli pasta
- 5 ounces pork longaniza (half of a 10-ounce packaged link)
- 12 ounces cherry tomatoes
- 2 green onions
- 3/4 cup cilantro dressing
- salt to taste
Instructions
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Cook pasta according to package directions. While the pasta is cooking, cook longaniza on medium-low heat until cooked through but not crispy. Set aside to cool.
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When the pasta is done, drain and rinse with cold water. Mix cilantro dressing and pasta together until all the dressing has been absorbed by the pasta.
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Slice tomatoes in half, cut green onions into thin circle slices and add to the pasta along with the cooked longaniza. Stir well. Season with salt to your taste.
Recipe Notes
This salad can be made in advance, just remember to keep it in the fridge until you're ready to bring it out to serve. It can be served immediately, or straight out of the fridge. Either way, it's good!
Get the cilantro dressing at https://www.spanglishspoon.com/dairy-free-low-fat-cilantro-dressing/
