Healthy Italian Pasta Salad | Lite Cravings Recipes (2024)

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 astarred reviewandcommentbelow helps my blog grow. I’m always grateful when you can take the time to do that!

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