Low-Carb Italian Pasta Salad – Kalyn’s Kitchen

posted by Kalyn Denny on June 28, 2021

I used Palmini Pasta to make this delicious Low-Carb Italian Pasta Salad that’s easy to make and loaded with amazing flavors! And if you haven’t tried this tasty hearts of palm pasta yet, I highly recommend that you try it!

PIN the low-carb Italian Pasta Salad to try it later!

When I posted the new low-carb version of Pasta with Sausage and Kale, I told you about what good results I had when I made this favorite pasta recipe with Palmini Pasta! And today I’m sharing this new recipe for Low-Carb Italian Pasta Salad, which is another recipe I loved when I made it with the hearts of palm pasta! Kara and I are having fun experimenting with this product, and we have become enthusiastic fans of Palmini Pasta!

And this new recipe that uses Palmini Low-Carb Linguini (affiliate link) is extra quick and easy to make, and I was so pleasantly surprised that it kept well for several days in the fridge. This would be a perfect pasta salad to take to a summer pot-luck or to make for a family dinner, and I bet most people will never guess it’s not made with regular pasta! The recipe was somewhat inspired by an old recipe for Spaghetti Salad with Italian Sausage, so if you don’t think the low-carb pasta will be a hit at your house you might like that one.

What is Palmini Pasta?

Palmini Pasta (affiliate link) is a type of low-carb pasta made from hearts of palm. The pasta variations made by Palmini include Linguini, Angel Hair (which is more like thin spaghetti), and Lasagna. The same company also makes low-carb rice and low-carb mashed potatoes from hearts of palm. Kara and I have enjoyed experimenting with the Palmini Pasta products, and we really like the flavor of them. 

Why is this a good recipe for using Palmini Pasta?

One drawback to Palmini Pasta is the price; definitely it’s a lot more expensive than regular pasta. That’s why I recommend using it in recipes like this one, where there are a lot of other ingredients in the dish to spread out the pasta. This Low-Carb Italian Pasta Salad makes six servings from one can of Palmini Linguini, which makes it a much more affordable recipe to make using Palmini.

Does Palmini Pasta need to be pre-cooked?

For some recipes you can probably get good results by just cooking the Palmini in the sauce. But after experimenting with this recipe and another one we are working on, Kara and I definitely prefer cooking the linguini for five minutes in boiling, salted water before using it in a recipe. We feel the pre-cooking gives the hearts of palm a more “pasta-like” texture.

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

Tips for making this recipe:

(Scroll down for complete recipe with nutritional information.)

1. We used one can of linguini for this recipe. (It also comes in a pouch which contains slightly less.)
2. Dump the linguini into colander and drain well.
3. Then use Kitchen Shears (affiliate link) and cut the linguini into shorter pieces.
4. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add salt and linguine noodles, and cook at a low simmer for 5 minutes.
5. While linguini cooks, slice cherry tomatoes, drain olives, slice green onions, chop fresh basil, and grate or measure out the Parmesan Cheese.
6. Drain cooked noodles well in a colander placed in the sink.
7. Whisk together dressing ingredients and add the chopped basil to the dressing; then mix it into the pasta.
8. Gently mix in the sliced tomato, mini pepperoni, sliced olives, and green onions.
9. Mix in 6 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese and sprinkle the rest over the salad
10. Can be served at room temperature or chilled, with more Parmesan to be added at the table if desired.

More Low-Carb Pasta Salad:

No-Pasta Salad with Zucchini and Italian Sausage ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen
Zucchini Noodle Mock Pasta Salad 
Shrimp and Cucumber Noodle Salad
Chicken Pesto Zucchini Noodle Salad

Pasta Salads I’d Love to try with Palmini Products:

Whole Wheat Orzo and Grilled Vegetable Salad
Pasta Salad with Italian Sausage
Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad
Spaghetti Salad with Italian Sausage
Pasta Salad with Fried Kale, Tomatoes, Olives, and Feta
Tuna Pasta Salad with Green Olives

Ingredients

• one 14 oz. can Palmini low-carb linguini
• water + 1 tsp. salt for cooking linguini
• 1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
• one 2.25 oz. can sliced olives
• one 5 oz. package mini pepperoni
• 1/3 cup sliced green onions
• 1/2 cup coarsely grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/3 cup Newman’s Own Olive Oil and Vinegar Dressing (see notes)
• 1/2 tsp. Italian Herb Seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Instructions

1. Dump the linguini into a colander placed in the sink and let the noodles drain well and drain well.
2. Then use Kitchen Shears to cut the linguini into shorter pieces. (This is important or it will be hard to get other ingredienets evenly mixed in.
3. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add a generous amount of salt and linguine noodles, and cook at a low simmer for 5 minutes.
4. While the linguini cooks, slice cherry tomatoes crosswise so they are in small circles similar to the size of the sliced olives and mini pepperoni.
5. Drain the sliced olives, slice green onions, chop fresh basil, and grate or measure out the Parmesan Cheese.
6. After 5 minutes (or until they are as soft as you prefer when you try a noodle) drain pasta into a colander placed in the sink. Let it drain well and cool for a few minutes.
7. Whisk together Vinaigrette dressing, Italian Herb Seasoning, and Garlic Powder to make the dressing.
8. Add the chopped basil to the dressing; then put pasta into a bowl and mix dressing into the pasta.
9. Gently mix in the sliced tomato, mini pepperoni, sliced olives, and green onions.
10. Mix in 6 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese, then sprinkle the rest over the top of the salad.
11. Can be served at room temperature or chilled, with it’s great served with more Parmesan to be added at the table if desired.

Notes

You can use any low-sugar vinaigrette to make the dressing.

Recipe created by Kalyn and Kara when we were experimenting with Palmini Low-Carb Pasta.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 189Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 5.7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 1088mgCarbohydrates: 6.1gFiber: 2gSugar: .8gProtein: 8g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions: 
Low-Carb Italian Pasta Salad with Palmini Pasta would be suitable for any low-carb diet plan, including Keto. The Palmini Pasta should be fine for any phase of the original South Beach Diet, but South Beach would definitely prefer turkey pepperoni, and possibly a bit less Parmesan. 

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Pasta Recipes or Salad Recipes for more ideas like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.