Pasta Salad Meal Prep: Veggie-Loaded & High-Protein

Name: Pasta Salad Meal Prep: Veggie-Loaded & High-Protein
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 18 min
Cuisine: European, Mediterranean
Ingredients: • Vegetable-loaded a full cup of crisp veg in every serving; • Three dressing options, so it never gets boring on repeat; • 4 cups short pasta (rotini, farfalle, or penne), cooked and cooled; • 1 cup diced cucumber; • 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes; • 1 cup diced bell pepper (any color); • ½ cup thinly sliced red onion; • ½ cup pitted kalamata olives, halved (optional); • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley or basil; Protein Add-Ins (Optional , Pick One); • Chicken pasta salad meal prep 2 cups cooked, shredded or diced chicken breast; • Tuna pasta salad meal prep two 5-ounce cans tuna, drained; • High protein pasta salad meal prep 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas plus ½ cup crumbled feta; • Italian pasta salad meal prep 1 cup diced salami or pepperoni plus ½ cup fresh mozzarella pearls; Choose Your Dressing (Pick One); • Classic vinaigrette ⅓ cup olive oil, 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste; • Creamy pasta salad meal prep dressing ½ cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste; • Pesto pasta salad meal prep dressing ½ cup basil pesto, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice; Sugar; Protein Add-In (per serving); Chicken breast (½ cup diced); Tuna (2.5 oz, drained); Extra chickpeas (½ cup)

6 steps

Prep:10minCook:8min

Updated at: Thu, 10 Sep 2026 19:18:37 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Uh-oh! We're unable to calculate nutrition for this recipe because some ingredients aren't recognized.

Ingredients

4 servings

veg

Vegetable, crisp, in every serving

3dressing options

so it never gets boring on repeat

4 cupsshort pasta

rotini, farfalle, or penne, cooked and cooled

1 cupcucumber

diced

1 cupcherry tomatoes

½ cupred onion

½ cuppitted kalamata olives

halved, optional

¼ cupfresh parsley

chopped, or basil

Protein Add-Ins

Optional, Pick One

2 cupsChicken pasta

salad meal prep, cooked, shredded or diced chicken breast

2 x 5 ouncecans tuna

salad meal, drained

1 ½ cupschickpeas

High protein pasta salad meal prep, cooked

feta

1 cupsalami

Italian pasta salad meal prep, diced, or pepperoni

½ cupfresh mozzarella pearls

Dressing

Your, Pick One

½ cupmayonnaise

Creamy pasta salad meal prep dressing

2 tablespoonsGreek yogurt

1 tablespoonlemon juice

½ teaspoongarlic powder

Pesto pasta salad meal prep dressing

2 tablespoonsolive oil

1 tablespoonlemon juice

sugar

Protein

Add-In, per serving

½ cupChicken breast

diced

2.5 ozTuna

drained

½ cupchickpeas

Instructions

Step 1

Cook the pasta.Cook the pasta until tender but still slightly firm, then drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking and wash off excess starch.

Step 2

2. Chop the vegetables. Dice the cucumber and bell pepper, halve the cherry tomatoes, and thinly slice the red onion.

Step 3

3. Make your dressing. Whisk together whichever dressing you're using in a small bowl or jar until smooth.

Step 4

4. Combine. In a large bowl, toss the cooled pasta with the vegetables and your protein add-in of choice.

Step 5

5. Dress it. Pour about three-quarters of the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Save the rest for later in the week.

Step 6

6. Portion and chill. Divide into containers and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before eating so the flavors have time to meld.

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