No-Pasta Salad with Zucchini and Italian Sausage
No-Pasta Salad with Zucchini and Italian Sausage also has roasted red pepper and olives, and this is a fun dinner or side dish! The combination of ingredients in this pasta salad without pasta was inspired by my brother Mark’s favorite pasta salad recipe, and this no-pasta salad is really low in carbs!
PIN the Salad with Zucchini and Italian Sausage to try it later!
In Utah zucchini is a big part of the summer food culture, which is why I have so many ideas for using it! And I hope if you’re also getting zucchini from your garden or the Farmers Market you’ll try this No-Pasta Salad with Zucchini and Italian Sausage for a great summer dinner featuring zucchini! I love this recipe and I’m reminding you about it for my Friday Favorites pick this week.
I called this a “No-Pasta” salad because there’s no pasta, but it’s a salad featuring the ingredients from my brother Mark’s favorite pasta salad, something I make occasionally for family parties. And Mark isn’t the only member of my family who goes crazy over that pasta salad combination with Italian sausage, zucchini, roasted red peppers, olives, and of course Parmesan cheese!
This No-Pasta Salad was the happy result when I decided to create a low-carb salad with those ingredients. It took me a few tries to get it right, but in this version we ended up with everyone loved the ingredients for that favorite pasta salad without the pasta! And if you’re getting a few too many zucchini, I hope you’ll like having a new way to use them!
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Olive Oil (affiliate link)
- turkey or pork uncooked Italian sausage
- canned black olives
- Roasted Red Peppers in a jar (affiliate link)
- zucchini
- Newman’s Own Classic Oil and Vinegar Dressing (affiliate link), or other low-sugar vinaigrette
- salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
- coarsely-grated or freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
Want More Ideas for Low-Carb Pasta Salads?
Another low-carb salad with that pasta salad vibe is my favorite Zucchini Noodle Mock Pasta Salad. And I’ve also enjoyed Pesto Pasta Salad and Low-Carb Italian Pasta Salad that are made with low-carb Palmini Pasta (affiliate link) and lots of my other pasta salads are now including the option to make them with lower-carb Fiber Gourmet Light Pasta (affiliate link)!
Want more Salads with Zucchini?
Check out Amazing Salads with Zucchini for lots more ideas for using that prolific summer vegetable!
How to make No-Pasta Salad with Zucchini and Italian Sausage:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- I used my favorite Turkey Italian Sausage, but use pork sausage if you prefer. Heat a little oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat and brown the sausage on all sides until it’s firm.
- While sausage cooks drain the olives, and drain the jar of roasted red peppers and chop them into short strips.
- When sausage is browned, let it cool enough to handle and then cut into slices about 3/4 inch thick.
- Then put the cut sausage back into the same frying pan and brown the cut sides, adding a little more olive oil if needed. (Don’t rush this step; the browning adds flavor!)
- While the sausage browns, wash zucchini if needed, cut the ends off, cut in half lengthwise, and then cut into half-moon slices about as thick as the sausage pieces.
- When sausage is brown, remove it from the pan. You may need to wipe out the frying pan a little, depending on how much liquid your sausage released, but a little browned bits on the bottom of the pan will flavor the zucchini.
- Add another tablespoon of olive oil and cook zucchini over medium-high heat until it’s starting to soften but still a little firm, about 4-5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and let the zucchini cool in the pan for a few minutes.
- Then add the 1/2 cup vinaigrette dressing to the pan with the slightly-warm zucchini and let it marinate for a few minutes. (Sorry I didn’t get a good photo of that step. Blogger fail!)
- Combine the browned sausage slices with the drained olives and red pepper strips in a large bowl.
- Add the zucchini that’s been marinating in the frying pan plus any dressing left in the pan.
- Season salad to taste with a little salt and fresh-ground black pepper and then gently stir in the freshly-grated Parmesan.
- Serve right away if possible, or chill in the fridge for an hour or two.
- This will keep overnight in the fridge but it’s definitely best when it’s freshly made.
More Salads with Zucchini:
- Marinated Zucchini Salad ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen
- Fresh and Healthy Greek Zucchini Salad ~ Fifteen Spatulas
- Grilled Zucchini Greek Salad ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen
- Mediterranean Salad with Zucchini Ribbons ~ Boulder Locavore
- Grilled Zucchini Caprese Salad ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen
No-Pasta Salad with Zucchini and Italian Sausage
No-Pasta Salad with Zucchini and Italian Sausage was created by Kalyn to use her family's favorite pasta salad ingredients without the pasta!
Ingredients
- 2 T olive oil, divided
- one 19.5 oz pkg. turkey or pork uncooked Italian sausage (see notes)
- one 6 oz. can black olives, drained
- one 12 oz. jar roasted red peppers, drained and cut into short strips
- 3 small zucchini (about 8 inches long)
- 1/2 cup Newman's Own Olive Oil and Vinegar Dressing (see notes)
- salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup coarsely-grated or freshly-grated Parmesan cheese (more or less to taste)
Instructions
- Heat 2 tsp. olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Add sausage links and cook over medium-high heat until sausage is firm and well-browned on all sides.
- While sausage browns, drain olives well and set aside. Drain red bell peppers well, then cut peppers into short strips.
- When sausage is browned remove to a cutting board and let it cool enough to handle. Then cut into slices about 3/4 inch thick.
- Add another teaspoon or so of olive oil to the pan if needed and heat the oil over medium-high heat; then add the sausage slices and brown well on both sides. (Don't rush this step; browning the sausage adds flavor.
- While sausage browns, wash the zucchini if needed and dry with paper towel. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and then slice into slices the same thickness as the sausage pieces.
- When sausage is browned, remove it to a cutting board. Wipe out the pan if there is a lot of browned residue in the bottom. (This will depend on the sausage you used. Some brown bits in the pan don't matter and they'll add flavor to the zucchini.)
- Add the other tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, heat oil over medium-high heat, then add the zucchini slices and cook just until the zucchini is barely starting to soften, about 4-5 minutes,
- Turn off heat and let zucchini cool in the pan for 2-3 minutes. Then add the salad dressing and stir to coat all the zucchini. Let zucchini marinate in the dressing for about 5 minutes.
- Combine cooked sausage pieces, olives, and red pepper strips in a salad bowl.
- Then add the slightly-marinated zucchini and any dressing left in the pan. Season the salad with a little salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste.
- Add grated Parmesan and gently combine. This is best served right away but it can be refrigerated for a short time if needed.
- Leftovers will keep overnight in the fridge but the salad is far better when it's freshly made.
Notes
I used my favorite turkey Italian sausage and Newman's Own Olive Oil and Vinegar Dressing (affiliate link) for this salad.
Recipe created by Kalyn.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 423Total Fat 26gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 17gCholesterol 130mgSodium 805mgCarbohydrates 11gFiber 3gSugar 4gProtein 38g
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:
This No-Pasta Salad with Zucchini and Italian Sausage is great recipe for any low-carb or Keto diet, including any phase of the original South Beach Diet. South Beach would prefer lower-fat turkey sausage and other low-carb plans would recommend higher-fat sausage. You will want to use less Parmesan cheese if you’re following the letter-of-the-law for South Beach.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Check out Zucchini Recipes for more ideas to use that zucchini. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe for a pasta salad with no pasta was first posted in 2018. It was last updated with more information in 2023.
18 Comments on “No-Pasta Salad with Zucchini and Italian Sausage”
Just curious, is this to be eaten warm? The recipe doesn’t say to chill before serving, but typically a ‘pasta salad’ is eaten cold. I’m probably just overthinking it. Either way, I can’t wait to try this recipe!
It was more like room temperature when we ate it, but I haven’t ever chilled the salad. Although I’ve eaten leftovers when they’ve been in the fridge.
I just came across your blog and will become a faithful reader.
Great recipe! I cook for my sister…she and I have very different body types. Keto diet works for her, so I will add this to my “cookbook” for her. Although the recipe is carb free, it has all the stuff I love so I know it will be good for me too.
Keep up the good work.
Thank you.
Glad you like it!
I just made this and it was great. I changed a few things: I roasted my own red pepper over the stove (easy to do), used kalamata olives instead of plain black, sauteed/carmalized an onion after the zucchini and sausage had cooked, added some white wine, and at the very end added some chopped parsley. Delicious!
So glad you enjoyed it, fun hearing how you adapted the recipe. And yes, roasting your own red pepper can only make it better!
I made this on the same day as I saw the recipe. It is wonderful! My husband & I loved it so much that it is on our regular rotational group of recipes. I plan to try out different sausages, but that is the only variation since it is so good the way it is!
So happy to hear it appealed to you that much and that you enjoyed it when you tried it!
I love this — a salad with all the good stuff! There really isn’t any room for the pasta, and no need for it because all the flavor is right here. Can’t wait to try it.
Thanks Lydia; so glad you like it!
I received the above recipe in my email this morning and I made it for supper. I reduced the roasted red pepper and added sauted mushrooms, ussed Italian chicken sausage links and used Newman’s Own Olive Oil and Vinegar dressing as you recommended, We were thrilled with it and will definitely be making it from now on! And I will recommending it also! Thanks for your great work and website!
Hi Cherie, So glad to hear you enjoyed it! And I love how you adapted the recipe. I never make a recipe exactly how it’s written so I love seeing what ideas other people have!
Just leave out the pasta – BRILLIANT!
Thanks Donna! It was well-received by the family too!
What a yummy sounding recipe! To me, it’s more of a meal than a salad. I’ll definitely be making it very soon, since I have some lovely zucchini. I’ll probably even add a can of drained artichoke hearts, which we also love. I like to use “Jennie-O” Turkey Italian Sausages”….they have phenomenal flavor. I also swear by “Wishbone Light Italian Salad Dressing”, so that’s what I’ll use. My family & I eat low-carb meals 4 out of 7 days a week, so I look forward to receiving your blog posts. Thank you.
Angelina, the “salad” part of the name was mostly for the connection with pasta salad (without the pasta.) But definitely this can be a meal. Jenni-O is my preferred Italian sausage too. Hope you enjoy!
I love that you still post to this. I need to get our family back on track.
Connie, I am still posting faithfully, more than 13 years now! I know what you mean about getting back on track; good luck with that!