Pasta Salad 5 Ways…5 Recipes for Healthier Pasta Salads! (2024)

July 6, 2013

Host the Toast

Is this turning into a food blog? Here’s the thing, so much of my life is consumed with cooking and feeding little mouths that sometimes that’s all I can think about! Or is that an just an excuse for the fact that I love to eat? A little of both, maybe : ) So, one of my current summer food obsessions is cold pasta salad. It’s cheap, great for left overs and weekday lunches and is completely versatile depending on the ingredients. What it’s not exactly great for – the waistline. With that in mind, I’ve been in search of some cold pasta salad recipes that are both delicious and won’t require me to wear stretch pants simultaneously. Eating Well’s step by step guide to ‘Making a Healthier Pasta Salad’ along with 5 awesome recipes was the perfect solution!

Eating Well

Ingredients

Dressing

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
3 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram or 1 tablespoon dried
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Pasta Salad

6 ounces (about 2 1/2 cups) whole-wheat medium shells
2 cups thinly sliced fennel bulb
1 cup diced bell pepper
1 cup quartered canned artichoke hearts
1 cup canned cannellini beans, rinsed
1/2 cup cubed salami
5 tablespoons shredded Provolone cheese
3 tablespoons chopped pepperoncini
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation

To prepare dressing: Combine oil, broth, vinegar, marjoram, shallots, salt and pepper in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake until well combined. (Or whisk in a bowl.)
To prepare pasta salad: Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions. Drain, transfer to a large bowl and let cool. Add fennel, bell pepper, artichoke hearts, beans, salami, cheese, pepperoncini, pepper and the dressing; toss to coat.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate, without dressing, for up to 1 day. Toss with the dressing about 1 hour before serving.

Nutrition

Per serving: 298 calories; 14 g fat ( 3 g sat , 9 g mono ); 11 mg cholesterol; 36 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 11 g protein; 7 g fiber; 535 mg sodium; 269 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (64% daily value), Vitamin A (21% dv)

Carbohydrate Servings: 2

Exchanges: 2 starch 1 vegetable, 1/2 high-fat meat, 2 fat

Eating Well

Ingredients

Dressing

1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano or 1 tablespoon dried
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

Pasta Salad

8 ounces (about 3 cups) whole-wheat fusilli
2 cups chopped broccoli
1 3/4 cups halved grape or cherry tomatoes
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation

To prepare dressing: Mash garlic and salt in a medium bowl with the back of a spoon into a chunky paste. Add buttermilk, mayonnaise, oregano and vinegar; whisk until combined.
To prepare pasta salad: Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions. Drain, transfer to a large bowl and let cool. Add broccoli, tomatoes, chickpeas, feta, pepper and the dressing; toss to coat.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate, without dressing, for up to 1 day. Toss with the dressing about 1 hour before serving.

Nutrition

Per serving: 264 calories; 6 g fat ( 2 g sat , 1 g mono ); 14 mg cholesterol; 44 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 11 g protein; 6 g fiber; 457 mg sodium; 367 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (42% daily value), Folate (20% dv), Vitamin A (19% dv), Magnesium (15% dv)

Carbohydrate Servings: 3

Exchanges: 2 1/2 starch, 1/2 vegetable, 1/2 medium fat meat, 1/2 fat

Ingredients

Dressing

1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon or 1 tablespoon dried
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

Pasta Salad

8 ounces (about 3 cups) whole-wheat bowtie pasta
2 cups cubed cantaloupe or honeydew melon
2 cups thinly sliced baby spinach
2 cups cubed or shredded cooked chicken
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped prosciutto (about 3 ounces)
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation

To prepare dressing: Mash garlic and salt in a medium bowl with the back of a spoon into a chunky paste. Add buttermilk, mayonnaise, tarragon and vinegar; whisk until combined.
To prepare pasta salad: Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions. Drain, transfer to a large bowl and let cool. Add melon, spinach, chicken, cranberries, prosciutto, pepper and the dressing; toss to coat.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate, without dressing, for up to 1 day. Toss with the dressing about 1 hour before serving.

Nutrition

Per serving: 294 calories; 6 g fat ( 2 g sat , 1 g mono ); 54 mg cholesterol; 38 g carbohydrates; 3 g added sugars; 25 g protein; 4 g fiber; 633 mg sodium; 400 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (57% daily value), Vitamin C (38% dv), Magnesium (15% dv)

Carbohydrate Servings: 2 1/2

Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1/2 fruit, 2 1/2 lean meat, 1/2 fat

Eating Well

Ingredients

Dressing

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Pasta Salad

8 ounces (about 3 cups) whole-wheat fusilli
3 cups baby arugula
1 cup diced zucchini (about 1 medium)
2 5-ounce cans chunk light tuna, drained
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped soft sun-dried tomatoes
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation

To prepare dressing: Combine oil, broth, vinegar, basil, shallots, salt and pepper in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake until well combined. (Or whisk in a bowl.)
To prepare pasta salad: Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions. Drain, transfer to a large bowl and let cool. Add arugula, zucchini, tuna, cheese, tomatoes, pepper and the dressing; toss to coat.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate, without dressing, for up to 1 day. Toss with the dressing about 1 hour before serving.

Nutrition

Per serving: 285 calories; 12 g fat ( 3 g sat , 8 g mono ); 15 mg cholesterol; 28 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 17 g protein; 3 g fiber; 401 mg sodium; 354 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (15% daily value)

Carbohydrate Servings: 2

Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1/2 vegetable, 1 1/2 lean meat, 2 fat

Eating Well

Ingredients

Dressing

1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or 1 tablespoon dried
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

Pasta Salad

10 ounces (about 2 cups) whole-wheat elbow noodles
1 3/4 cups sliced button mushrooms
1 3/4 cups peas, fresh or frozen (thawed)
1 cup diced ham
1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion, such as Vidalia
2 hard-boiled eggs (see Tip), chopped
1/2 cup diced Cheddar cheese
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation

To prepare dressing: Mash garlic and salt in a medium bowl with the back of a spoon into a chunky paste. Add buttermilk, mayonnaise, dill and vinegar; whisk until combined.
To prepare pasta salad: Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions. Drain, transfer to a large bowl and let cool. Add mushrooms, peas, ham, onion, eggs, cheese, pepper and the dressing; toss to coat.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate, without dressing, for up to 1 day. Toss with the dressing about 1 hour before serving.

Tip: To hard-boil eggs, place in a single layer in a saucepan; cover with 1 inch of water. Bring just to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and cook at the barest simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, immediately pour out hot water and cover the eggs with ice-cold water. Let stand in the water until cool.

Nutrition

Per serving: 315 calories; 9 g fat ( 4 g sat , 3 g mono ); 88 mg cholesterol; 40 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 21 g protein; 6 g fiber; 671 mg sodium; 379 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (36% daily value), Vitamin C (24% dv), Zinc (18% dv), Iron & Magnesium (16% dv), Folate (15% dv)

Carbohydrate Servings: 2 1/2

Exchanges: 2 starch, 1/2 vegetable, 1 lean meat, 1/2 medium fat meat, 1/2 high fat meat, 1/2 fat

Pasta Salad 5 Ways…5 Recipes for Healthier Pasta Salads! (2024)

FAQs

What are the five mistakes to avoid pasta salad? ›

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Making Pasta Salad

Using the wrong pasta. The wrong pasta type or size can make pasta salad soggy, slimy, or just plain hard to eat. ...
Salting only once, at the end. ...
Too many raw ingredients! ...
Overdressing or underdressing the salad. ...
Not seasoning again just before serving.

Get More Info ›

What does pasta salad contain? ›

Meet your new summer bestie: A stupidly easy pasta salad with pasta, juicy tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, red onion, salami, olives, herbs, and a drench of quick homemade dressing.

Does pasta have to be cold for pasta salad? ›

Pasta salad that's still shivering from the fridge is more firm (often unpleasantly so), and the flavors of the sauce are too subdued; fats are also more prone to congealing. It's much better to serve the pasta at room temperature, which helps the pasta have a more appealing texture and lets the flavors loose.

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How long is homemade pasta salad good for in the fridge? ›

But how long, exactly, is that pasta salad going to last? The majority of pasta salads will last between three to five days in the refrigerator. This is provided you are storing the salad properly, in an airtight container so as to prevent any harmful bacteria from growing in your salad.

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What are at least 6 common ingredients that are being used in preparing a salad? ›

Common raw vegetables (in the culinary sense) used in a salad include cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, onions, carrots, celery, radishes, mushrooms, avocado, olives, artichoke hearts, heart of palm, watercress, parsley, garden beets, and green beans. Nuts, berries, seeds, lentils, and flowers are less common components.

Should you rinse pasta in cold water for pasta salad? ›

The starch in the water is what helps the sauce adhere to your pasta. The only time you should ever rinse your pasta is when you are going to use it in a cold dish like a pasta salad or when you are not going to use it immediately. In those cases, rinsing the pasta helps to stop the cooking process.

Is it OK to eat pasta salad every day? ›

Pasta salad can be a healthy meal option if it contains a variety of vegetables, lean protein, and a dressing that is low in saturated fat and added sugars. However, if the pasta salad is made with high-fat meats, cheese, and a creamy or oil-based dressing, it can be high in calories, saturated fat, and sodium.

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What is a interesting fact about pasta salad? ›

But pasta salad is actually more American than Italian. Italians generally prefer their pasta hot and served as a separate course. While cold macaroni salads, the unpretentious precursors of today's pasta salads have been staples of American cookbooks for years. Pasta itself has an ancient history.

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Does pasta salad contain mayo? ›

In addition to the mayonnaise and sour cream, we use these ingredients: Yellow mustard adds a bit of color and rounds out the flavor of the dressing nicely. We usually use Dijon mustard in our recipes, but just like when making our potato salad, we prefer regular yellow mustard for the best pasta salad.

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Why does my pasta salad taste weird? ›

Mistake: Using dressings that are too vinegar-forward on cold pasta leave sour, acerbic tastes on the tongue. Though heavenly on my Simple Italian Salad, vinegar in salad level amounts is jarring on cold pasta!

What is the best store bought Italian dressing for pasta salad? ›

Italian dressing is a must for making the cold pasta salads that accompany picnics and potlucks. The best dressing for these recipes, according to our Test Kitchen, is Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing. Opening up a bottle, you'll find it's a classic grocery store-style Italian dressing.

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Is pasta salad better made the day before? ›

→ Follow this tip: While it will stay good for a couple days, it's best to make pasta salad the day of or the day before you plan to eat it.

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Can you eat 2 week old pasta salad? ›

Refrigerated pasta salad can generally last for 3-5 days if stored properly in an airtight container. However, its flavor and texture might start to decline after the first couple of days. Ingredients like vegetables and herbs can lose their freshness, leading to a reduction in flavor quality over time.