Pasta is not a staple in my house. We might have it three or four times in a year, if that. Why you may ask? Well, frankly I don’t know why. One thing I do know is that pasta salad has always fascinated me. My mom grew up being served pasta salad and my cousins all like pasta salad, so I have always wanted to try making a pasta salad. That’s where this gluten-free venison pasta salad comes into play! Now, it’s definitely not your traditional pasta salad, and I’ll explain why later, but it’s definitely a delicious, wholesome pasta salad… perfect for the modern pioneer kitchen!

gluten-free venison pasta salad made with steamed carrots and peas

Pioneer Recipe

Believe it or not, noodles are actually an Old West, pioneer food! I know that pasta and noodles are two different things, but still, they have their similarities. Aside from pasta or noodles being a food served in the old pioneer days, there are other factors about this pasta salad that make it a pioneer recipe.

Homegrown Veggies– For one, this pasta salad contains nutritious vegetables that can be homegrown! Peas, carrots, and pearl onions are all fairly easy to grow and may have even been grown in the early pioneer gardens. Okay, maybe not pearl onions, but traditional onions would have been a staple and they can be used in this recipe too instead of the pearl onions. But I think we can all agree that cute pearl onions are hard to resist and taste absolutely amazing!

Home-Harvested Meat- The other thing about this pasta salad that makes it a pioneer recipe is the fact that it doesn’t contain a traditional ‘pasta salad meat’. This pasta salad is made with venison! My favorite meat of all time! Venison and beef were two staple meats in the Old West, so I figured it would only be appropriate to use a heritage meat in this pioneer recipe.

Travel Friendly– My family loves to go camping…. travel trailer camping for my parents, tent camping for me. For as long as I can remember our first dinner on the road would be some sort of dish using canned venison. It used to be rice, corn, and canned venison. However, since going on an anti-inflammatory diet, we had to cut out the corn and the rice. I created this dish as a kind of replication of our traditional camping meal. The pasta replaces the rice, and the peas and carrots replace corn, but the meat stays the same. I love making this meal because it is simple and brings back good memories of being on the road with my family!

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a bowl of gluten-free pasta salad made with venison, carrots, peas, and bacon

How to Make Pasta Salad Healthy

I made this recipe as a healthier replication of my family’s travel meal. Not only is it allergy friendly, but it can also fit into low-inflammation diets. Of course this recipe had to be gluten-free, but this venison pasta salad is also….

grain-free
dairy-free
nut free
egg free option
corn free
soy free
low inflammation
high protein

Because of the chickpea-based pasta and the venison, this pasta salad is a great high-protein meal! The vegetables add nutrition and the natural seasonings add flavor. I like to use Primal Kitchen or Chosen Foods mayo to keep this pasta salad healthy. Mayo made using avocado oil is healthier than traditional mayo. Chosen Foods also makes an egg-free mayo if you need to make this recipe without eggs.

One thing I struggled with when creating this gluten-free pasta salad recipe was what to serve it with. Some people serve pasta salad by itself, but I always like to have a side-dish to accompany my meals. Having a side-dish also allows me to have leftover of the main dish to freeze or save for later. After much consideration, I came up with a few healthy side dishes, most of them being grain-free or gluten-free bread products.

Of course, this venison pasta salad can be a side-dish itself too! Pasta salad is a classic summer side-dish for bar-b-ques, grill-outs, or summer picnics… and now you can make one that’s gluten-free and grain-free!

a crock of grain-free pasta salad with peas and carrots

About the Ingredients

This pasta salad is made using simple, wholesome ingredients. Pasta salad recipes should be short, sweet, and simple… and this healthy venison pasta salad is no different.

Flavorings– I use herbal seasonings like garlic powder, organic mustard, and paprika to add flavor to the salad. The splash of vinegar or pickle juice helps balance out the flavors and adds nice zest to the salad. You can play around with how much mayo you use, but I think the taste of this salad is amazing just as it is!

Pasta– As for the pasta, I chose to use a grain-free, gluten-free brand of pasta. Ancient Harvest makes a few pasta varieties using legumes, like red and green lentils. Their grain-free, legume-based pastas are called POW! pasta but they are still made by Ancient Harvest. I like these pastas because they are grain-free and only contain a few simple ingredients.

Another brand of pasta that I like to buy is Banza pasta. Banza uses chickpeas to make all of their pasta varieties. I love buying Banza pasta because there are so many different styles to choose from and they are all gluten-free!

Meat– For the venison in this pasta salad, you can use a couple different cuts. To make this pasta salad travel friendly, use canned venison that can easily be packed as a dry good along with the pasta. If you are making this salad at home, I like to use grilled venison steak cuts. Grilled venison steaks or grilled venison backstrap cut into chunks goes nicely in this pasta salad. And don’t forget the bacon!

Veggies– To round out the pasta salad, I added some mild but delicious veggies to the mix! Peas and carrots are classic veggie pairings with pasta in my homestead kitchen. Use homegrown veggies from your homestead garden or take a short-cut and use organic frozen peas and carrots instead. For the pearl onions, you can also dice up a red onion to use instead.

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a pot of grain-free venison pasta salad made with bacon and veggies

Tips for Storing Pasta Salad

One reason why this pasta salad would make a good substitute for my family’s traditional travel dinner is because it is easy to make and store.

The pasta can be made up ahead of time and stored in the fridge. Or the box can be packed and then easily made up over the gas stovetop in our travel trailer. As for the vegetables, they can be steamed ahead of time and either stored in the fridge or frozen until they need to be added to the salad. Of course, packing canned venison is simple because it is canned, so it doesn’t need to be refrigerated and it is already cooked!

Gluten-free pasta salad can be assembled ahead of time or made up when needed. If you choose to do all the assembling ahead of time, the pasta salad can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or it can be frozen.

The simplicity and versatility of this recipe makes it a great travel dinner or on-the-go meal!

a serving of homemade pasta salad made with chickpea Banza elbow pasta

Pasta Salad Recipe Tips

Gluten-free venison pasta salad is super easy to make! There’s not much to it other than cooking the pasta and steaming the vegetables. I don’t have too many recipe tips for you on this one! However, I do have a few tips for cooking with grain-free pasta:

Don’t Overcook It– Be vigilant when cooking your pasta! I have overcooked my pasta before, and while it still tastes good, the texture is a little different. Over cooking the pasta makes it soft and mushy, causing the pasta pieces to mash together and break.
Taste Test– I would say start testing your pasta after 5-6 minutes of boiling. It should be firm but not crunchy. As soon as it is soft, remove it from the heat and strain off the boiling water.
Water Rinse– Rinsing the cooked pasta will remove some the starches that coat the pasta after it has cooked. Removing the extra starch keeps the pasta from sticking together as it cools.
Warm or Cooled?– For this recipe, you can choose to assemble the salad while the pasta is still warm or wait until the pasta is cool and then combine everything.

a stainless steel bowl of venison pasta salad made with grain-free elbow pasta

Gluten-free venison pasta is a super easy meal to make… plus it is high-protein and nutritious! You can’t get much better than that! I love the flavors in this salad and enjoy eating it warm or cold, as a main meal or as a side-dish…

Gluten-free Venison Pasta Salad

Recipe by The Pioneer Chicks

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 18

Total Time 28

Servings 6 people

Author Alexa Lehr

Ingredients

1 8 oz. box gluten-free Banza pasta
2 small organic carrots, sliced
8 small pearl onions
1 cup organic peas
1-2 cups cooked venison
3 slices non-GMO bacon, cooked & crumbled
1 T. white vinegar or pickle juice
1/2 cup Primal Kitchen mayo
1/4 tsp. organic mustard
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. organic garlic powder
1/8 tsp. paprika optional

Instructions

In a small saucepan, place the sliced carrots, peas, and pearl onions. Add enough water to just cover the bottom of the pan. Heat over medium heat until the water is simmering. Reduce the temperature to low and simmer the veggies for 8-10 minutes or until they are tender.
In a large saucepan, bring 1 quart of water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and add the pasta. Cook uncovered for 6-8 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed. The pasta is done when you can stick a fork through it. Don't over cook!
Pour the pasta into a strainer to remove the water, rinse the pasta under running water, and then pour the pasta into a large mixing bowl. Once the veggies have simmered, strain them of the liquid and add them to the pasta.
To assemble the salad, add the vinegar, mustard, paprika, garlic powder, and salt to the pasta and stir to combine. Add the venison and bacon crumbles. Stir to combine. Lastly, add the mayo and stir until everything is well coated with the mayo.
Enjoy as a main meal or as a delicious side! Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze in an airtight container for later.

Where to Find the Ingredients

This gluten-free venison pasta salad is a great pioneer meal that can be made on the homestead or prepared for traveling! Being grain-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free makes this meal an excellent allergy-friendly, low-inflammation dinner, lunch, or snack option. The chickpea or lentil pasta adds additional protein to the venison that is in the salad and the wholesome vegetables and seasonings add nutrition and flavor. It’s the perfect modern pioneer recipe if you ask me! Maybe pasta will become more of a staple in my house with this recipe!

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