Italian No-Pasta Salad {Gluten-Free & Grain-Free}

One of my favorite summer BBQ sides was that Italian pasta salad you could find in any grocery store deli.  I loved the tangy dressing combined with the sweet bell peppers, salami and mozzarella cheese, and of course those salty olives.  The corkscrew pasta soaked up all that dressing and was just a fun shape to eat.  Unfortunately, these salads are typically full of artificial preservatives, highly processed oils and a big-ol' gluten bomb.  I knew I needed to recreate a healthier version!

Italian No-Pasta Salad

Prep: 30 minutes Cook: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

Italian Dressing:

1 tsp basil

1/2 tsp marjoram

1/4 tsp sage

1 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

Juice from 1 lemon

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tsp maple syrup

1 tsp balsamic

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

3 medium summer squash

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced

1/2 small red onion, diced

2 oz salami, gluten-free, sliced into 1/4" strips

3/4 cups whole pitted black olives, or olives of your choice

2 oz mozzarella (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a jar with lid.  Cover and shake to combine.
2. Refrigerate the dressing until ready to use.
3. Place a large pot of water with 2 pinches of salt on the stove and bring to a boil. 
4. While the water is coming up to a boil, run the summer squash through the spiralizer using the flat blade insert.  With all the spiralized squash laid out on a cutting board, use a large knife to roughly cut into thirds.  We're just looking to shorten the "noodles" some.  
5. Add the spiralized squash to the boiling water and cook for about 5 minutes, until tender.
6. Transfer the squash to a colander and rinse with cold water.  Remove as much water as you can from the squash.  Leave the squash in the colander while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
7. Add the squash, bell pepper, red onion, salami, olives, and mozzarella (if using) to a large bowl.
8. Pour about half the dressing over the salad and toss the ingredients to combine.  Add more dressing as desired.  
9. Store the salad in the fridge until ready to serve. 

Serves: 6 - 8 (as a side dish)

Enjoy!