Vegan & Gluten Free Bright & Lemony Spring Inspired Cold Pasta Salad

For the Dressing: Combine 1/4 cup Dijon mustard, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 2 cloves fresh garlic, and 2 tablespoons maple syrup in your blender. Slowly add 1/2 cup olive oil while blending to emulsify, creating a thick dressing.

For the Salad: Prep and chop your zucchini. Boil water and add 4 cups brown rice pasta. Approximately 4 minutes before the pasta is done, add the chopped zucchini to the boiling water. Once cooked, drain and rinse the pasta and zucchini immediately under cold water to stop further cooking. Place them in a large bowl.

In a small saucepan, boil more water. Add 2 cups frozen peas and 1 cup frozen corn kernels. Boil for 4 minutes. Drain and immediately run under cold water to stop cooking. Add the peas and corn to the pasta and zucchini mix. Roughly chop 1/2 cup fresh basil and add it to the mixture.

Pour 2/3 of the prepared dressing over the salad and mix well. Top with plenty of pepper and salt to taste. Place the salad in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or longer for best results. The remaining 1/3 of the dressing can be kept for up to 5 days for future use or added to the salad later to make it wetter.