Whether you serve it as a side dish or the main event, Healthy Italian Pasta Salad is sure to please everyone!
Even though the summer is coming to an end, it doesn’t feel like it. It’s still super hot here in SoCal. I haven’t had the motivation to cook much–turning on the oven sounds awful. So I’m all about cold salads that will last me through the week.
My teaching schedule this semester also makes it so that I don’t get a real “lunch break.” I have to bring something with me that I can pull straight from my bag and eat between classes. You know how it goes .
Like so many of my recipes, necessity led to the creation of my new favorite recipe! On my quest to avoid turning on the oven, I went looking through my refrigerator and pantry for items I could throw together to make a hearty salad with a quick, easy dressing.
All you have to do is boil some pasta, chop some veggies, and mix up the dressing. All of this can be done in just 20-30 minutes!
Use whatever veggies you have
I really like the versatility of this recipe. Even though I’ve provided a lineup of the vegetables I enjoy in the salad, it really depends on what I want to use up. Here are some other ingredients that you could swap in:
- Chopped broccoli
- Sliced cucumbers
- Thinly sliced zucchini
- Pepperoncini
- Thinly sliced red onion
The only ingredients that I wouldn’t swap out are the tomatoes and cheese. They really are the highlight of the dish and what help make it an Italian Pasta Salad!
Make your Healthy Italian Pasta Salad Vegetarian!
I love adding the turkey pepperoni for a lean kick of protein. But if you’re looking to keep this meat-free, you have some options.
I’ve seen veggie pepperoni products at the store before, though I cant vouch for how good they are.
Chickpeas would be delicious! I think that’s the better option because it will add bulk to the salad and is used in a lot of Mediterranean cuisine. Just wash and drain a can of chickpeas and add them into the mix.
making the dressing
You could buy a light Italian dressing at the store, but this is honestly the easiest dressing to put together. I bet you already have the ingredients on hand.
I like using the pasta water as a base because it helps the dressing stick to the pasta. If you don’t want to use it (or if you forget to reserve the water, which I do all the time!), you could use veggie or chicken stock instead.
You could use white wine or apple cider vinegar instead of the red wine vinegar. No need to buy a bottle just for 2 tablespoons, so go with what you have around the house. Definitely avoid white distilled vinegar, though. It will be much too strong.
Looking for more easy (but delicious) meal ideas?
Check out some of my other favorite recipes when I want to beat the heat:
- Healthy Macaroni Salad
- Healthy Chicken Salad
- Hawaiian Mac Salad
- Asian Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing
I’d love to hear from you if you make this recipe! Leaving a starred review and comment below helps my blog grow. I’m always grateful when you can take the time to do that!
It also makes my day when you share your pics on Instagram and tag me (@litecravings). Don’t forget to use #litecravingsrecipes to make sure I see it.
If I don’t get a chance to scroll through my tags quickly enough, I won’t see your post. I always make a point to look through the hashtags, though, so I’ll see it there!
Healthy Italian Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 6 ounces uncooked short pasta (like rotini)
- 10 ounces cherry tomatoes cut in half (about 2 cups)
- 2/3 cup jarred roasted red pepper diced (or 1 fresh red bell pepper)
- 1 large green bell pepper seeded and chopped
- 1/2 cup sliced olives
- 4 ounces turkey pepperoni sliced in quarters (use 1 can chickpeas to keep it vegetarian)
- 4 ounces fresh mini mozzarella cheese balls (I use the pearls)
FOR THE DRESSING
- 3 tbsp reserved pasta water
- 1 2/3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (that’s 1 tbsp + 2 tsp)
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2-1 tsp kosher salt*
- black pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional if you like some heat)
Instructions
- Boil pasta according to package directions. BEFORE draining the pasta, reserve 3 tablespoons of the pasta water.
- In a small bowl or mason jar, thoroughly mix together dressing ingredients.
- In a large bowl, add all remaining ingredients. Pour in dressing and mix until all ingredients are coated.
- You can eat the salad right away, but it gets better as it sits in the refrigerator! I suggest making it the day before you want to serve.
I made this on Sunday (today is Wed) and the salad is still holding-up incredibly well. This pasta salad is totally delicious, hearty, and gives you a pretty good-sized portion. You can’t tell it’s a lightened recipe because it’s really that good. I didn’t have pepperoni, so I omitted it, but I added artichokes.
This was so good! I love the dressing , so much flavor!
Thanks so much, Kristin! Glad you love it!!!
This was sooo good! I was worried there wasn’t going to be enough dressing because the old me would’ve used a whole bottle of dressing but it was perfect and the flavor was outstanding! It did soak in pretty much by day 2 though so I added a small amount of Olive Garden Light to revive it. I liked the homemade dressing better though so next time I’m going to make double to use the extra as needed, or on a lettuce salad!
This is so easy and delicious! Also for all you single folks out there – it freezes great! I freeze and reuse leftovers with no issues!
Thank you for sharing this, Jessica!!! And so happy you love the recipe.
This is a wonderful lower calorie pasta salad recipe. I usually dump 1/2 a bottle of Italian dressing on my pasta salad and most of the rest before serving because it soaks in. And I feel like if I use light dressing from a bottle the flavor is lacking. This homemade dressing had such great flavor and did not get sucked up by the noodles. Still holding up on day 3. Next time I’m making a double batch!