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Buffalo Pasta Salad

30 min

Main

Salad

Budget-friendly
Calling all pasta salad lovers! This buffalo pasta features fresh veggies, tender pasta, and creamy butter beans all tossed in a tangy, spicy, zingy buffalo dressing. Perfect for those who like a little heat! Whether you're prepping for the week, packing a school lunch, or taking it to a picnic, this pasta salad is sure to impress with its bold flavor and satisfying crunch!

Servings

Total

30 min

Prep

15 min

Cook

15 min

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Ingredients

Pasta salad

  • 2½ cups (209 g)
    dry orecchiette pasta
  • 2
    carrots, shredded
  • 2
    celery ribs, finely chopped
  • ½
    small red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 cup (150 g)
    cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ¼ cup (36 g)
    chopped pickles
  • 2 tsp (10 mL)
    olive oil
  • 1½ cups (255 g)
    cooked butter beans

Buffalo dressing

Directions

  1. Add the pasta to a pot of salted boiling water and cook for 10 minutes, or until al dente.
  2. Meanwhile, mix all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl*.
  3. Chop all the veggies and add them to a large bowl.
  4. Add the oil and beans to a small pan, and cook for 3 - 4 minutes, or until lightly golden. This is an optional step.
  5. When cooked, add the drained pasta to the large bowl, along with the cooked beans. Pour over the dressing, toss together, and enjoy!

Notes

  • †We used Frank's Red Hot Sauce.
  • * Note, the dressing packs a lot of heat and tang from the cayenne pepper hot sauce (we used Frank's Hot Sauce). For a less spicy and tangy dressing, start with less and add more to taste.

Storage

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Plate method

The Plate Method is a visual tool that helps us ensure our dietary needs are on track. Touch the image below to see how this recipe measures up.

Grains & Starches 48%

• dry orecchiette pasta

Proteins 19%

• cooked butter beans

• unsweetened soy yogurt

Fruits & Veggies 33%

• carrot

• celery rib

• small red onion

• cherry tomatoes

• chopped pickles

Calcium

• unsweetened soy yogurt

Fat

• olive oil

• vegan mayonnaise

Nutrition info

Focusing on numbers can harm our relationship with food. Instead, our philosophy is to Nourish the Cells & the Soul. For specific nutrition needs due to a medical condition, consult a dietitian or physician. While we strive to provide accurate nutritional information, we cannot guarantee its accuracy. See our disclaimer for details.

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Krista Stewart - April 28, 2025, 3:57 p.m.

This was easy and delicious! It will be great for hot summer nights, or a potluck.
I think I'll substitute cannellini beans or red kidney bean, for butter beans next
time. Recipe made lots!

PUL small logo PUL Team - April 28, 2025, 9:18 p.m.

So happy to hear that the pasta salad recipe was enjoyed, Krista! Love the idea of bringing it potlucks 🥰

Reply
kelsey Davies - April 28, 2025, 3:22 p.m.

Loved this one! Very spicy but tasty, cooking the beans first also boosted the flavour - I would make this again :) great lunch recipe!

Reply
Jenniffer Zapata - April 28, 2025, 8:12 a.m.

This was so so amazing, all the goodness!! Thank you Sadia :)
I also made my own ranch mix, which I loveee !

Reply
Angela - April 27, 2025, 10:33 p.m.

What kind of pickles? Sweet or dill?

PUL small logo PUL Team - April 28, 2025, 12:58 a.m.

Hey Angela, whichever you prefer! I personally love the dill and vinegary kind. My Dutch colleagues are more used to the sweet ones, which as a Canadian I still find a little strange. Haha. So it really just depends on what you like. For this recipe, I find that dill pickles work best to balance the heat and tang of the buffalo dressing, but that’s just me. Sweet pickles might make it taste a little too sugary for my taste. 😊

Reply
Samantha - April 27, 2025, 6:33 a.m.

We loved this pasta salad - But my teens said "add more ranch seasoning next time" so that's my plan! YUM - Thanks for this recipe and definitely thanks for the versatile ranch seasoning blend!

PUL small logo PUL Team - April 27, 2025, 8:49 p.m.

Aw it means so much that the pasta salad recipe was enjoyed, Samantha! Thank you 🤗

Reply
Klaudia - April 26, 2025, 2:40 p.m.

Easy and delicious!

Reply
Lisa Clark - April 23, 2025, 10:42 p.m.

Added this to my favorites! So refreshing and creamy. We made a double batch to have for lunches for the week. We used about 1/3 the amount of buffalo sauce which was good for my baby mouth. Maybe I'll venture to half the amount next time 😆

Reply
Anja - April 23, 2025, 1:14 a.m.

This was incredible. Satisfying, easy, filling, nutritious, qui k. We personally swapped out tomatoes for red pepper bc there is something really satisfying about the veggies being all crunchy.

PUL small logo PUL Team - April 23, 2025, 3:13 a.m.

So glad you loved the buffalo pasta salad recipe, Anja! Red pepper instead of tomatoes sounds like a super tasty swap 🫶

Reply
Jessica - April 22, 2025, 9:15 p.m.

This was super good and filling! Great to make ahead to have for lunches for the week!

Reply
Kate - April 22, 2025, 8:16 p.m.

This salad is delicious! I didn’t feel like cooking at all so subbed extra (canned) beans in place of the pasta. It’s super filling and the dressing is really flavorful. Will make again and again.

PUL small logo PUL Team - April 22, 2025, 9:14 p.m.

Ooo thanks for this idea, Kate! ☺️

Soraya Assar - April 25, 2025, 2:48 a.m.

That sounds like a fantastic idea. What beans did you use? More butter beans? I was thinking of mixing Lima beans with kidney beans or maybe black beans for more color. Maybe some good old chick peas for a protein boost.

Kate - April 25, 2025, 3:57 a.m.

I used chickpeas and cannellini beans because that’s what I had on hand.

Reply
Tine - April 22, 2025, 7:19 p.m.

Just tried this recipe, because I‘m already a big fan of the „Buffalo Chickpea Sandwich“ and this pasta salad is truly delicious and filling. Love it!

Reply
Cindy - April 22, 2025, 1:20 a.m.

Made this tonight and it's an absolute keeper! It was really a great pasta salad.

Reply
Nynke de Graaf - April 20, 2025, 6:30 p.m.

I just made this tonight. I didn't feel like cooking. But the I saw this on YT and I just had to make it.
It was so easy and so, so good. We absolutly love this meal!
I think it would be great to bring to a potluck.
Love, love, loved this! Thank you.

PUL small logo PUL Team - April 21, 2025, 1:08 a.m.

Thank you so much for sharing this, Nynke! We’re so glad the recipe came to the rescue on a night you didn’t feel like cooking ☺️

Reply
DD - April 19, 2025, 10:56 p.m.

This recipe is the reason I downloaded the app and paid for full access! This is so amazing and the sauce is so perfectly balanced. What an incredibly simple meal that packs a ton of flavor!

PUL small logo PUL Team - April 20, 2025, 12:08 a.m.

Aww welcome to the PUL App, DD! Your support means the world, and we're so glad that the buffalo pasta salad recipe was enjoyed 🙌✨

Reply
Sara Mark - April 19, 2025, 9:51 p.m.

I made this yesterday for my family and my daughter's friends and they absolutely loved it! This will definitely be a repeat dinner recipe in our home.

Reply
Jelena - April 19, 2025, 7:08 p.m.

What an explosion of flavours!!! Such an amazing combination of ingredients, everything is in perfect balance. Everyone, make sure you try this recipe! 😊

PUL small logo PUL Team - April 19, 2025, 11:57 p.m.

Aw thanks for the glowing recommendation, Jelena! So glad that the vegan pasta salad recipe was enjoyed 😊

Reply
Pauline P. - April 17, 2025, 9:47 p.m.

Delicious, so rich in taste and colors ♡♡♡ big yes !!!

Reply