When I find recipes that interest me, I love tweaking them to make them wonderfully yummy and easier. With four kids and a hubby, cooking can’t take all day. They have to be quick and enjoyable. I love to make large batches also so that we can eat on them several times. This buffalo pasta salad is perfect for that.
I saw this buffalo pasta salad recipe but knew it needed to be made easier but just as good. So I have not only done that but made it tastier!
What I’ve always liked about pasta salads is their creaminess. I’m not a fan when they’re dry, and it tastes like you’re eating a bowl of plain noodles with some other stuff. This pasta salad is perfection. It has a hummus-like cream sauce that goes all in a blender after a quick whirl is done.
Buffalo Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pack brown rice elbow noodles or whole wheat
- ½ large head cauliflower about 2 cups
- ½-¾ cup celery diced
- ½-¾ cup carrots slivered
- 1 ½ cups chickpeas drained
- 1 medium lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 4 tablespoons hot sauce Frank’s Redhot Original Sauce
- ¾ cup milk plant-based
Instructions
- Cook noodles according to directions. Make sure to make them on the al dente side so that they don’t fall apart when you mix. Cool under cold water when done.
- While noodles are cooking, chop cauliflower and celery and add the carrots to a large bowl.
- For the sauce, add chickpeas, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, onion powder, plant milk, and Frank’s red hot sauce to your blender. Blend until a smooth consistency.
- When noodles are cool, add to veggies and dress with the buffalo sauce, carefully stirring not to break up the noodles. Cool in your fridge until ready to serve. Enjoy!