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As a busy mom who loves to run, I know how important it is to fuel my body with the right nutrients. I need meals that are easy to prepare, packed with energy-boosting ingredients, and, most importantly, delicious! This healthy pasta salad has become one of my favorite go-to meals. It’s light yet satisfying, loaded with protein, fiber, and healthy fats—all essential for keeping me energized during training.
How to Make Pasta Salad Healthier
Pasta salad can be so much more than a soggy side dish weighed down by mayo. I’ve given it a makeover to create a vibrant, balanced meal that fuels your body and tastes amazing. Here’s how to give your pasta salad a healthy upgrade:
Choose Smarter Pasta
Start with healthier pasta by swapping in whole grain, lentil, chickpea, or brown rice options. These provide complex carbs for steady energy and longer-lasting fullness—perfect for active days or long to-do lists.
Try using whole grain farfalle pasta to deliver sustained energy unlike refined options.
Pack in the protein
Pack in the protein with plant-based sources like cannellini beans, chickpeas, edamame, or tofu. Sprinkling in hemp seeds or vegan feta helps build muscle and keeps you satisfied.
Cannellini beans give this salad a protein punch—great for post-workout recovery.
Swap in Heart Healthy Fats
Add heart-healthy fats with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and flavorful add-ins like black olives, sunflower seeds, or avocado. These fats support hormone balance, heart health, and provide long-lasting fuel.
Olive oil and olives add richness while supporting heart and hormone health.
Load Up on Fresh Veggies
Load up on veggies to bring hydration, fiber, and essential nutrients. Arugula, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions are all vibrant choices that elevate the salad’s texture and color.
Hydrating veggies like arugula and bell peppers help replenish minerals lost through sweat.
Flavor with a Purpose
Skip the bottled dressing and flavor your salad with lemon juice, vinegar, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh herbs. These additions are packed with antioxidants that help reduce inflammation and support recovery.
Sun-dried tomatoes and fresh herbs aren’t just tasty—they help fight inflammation and support recovery.
Since I started incorporating more nutrient-dense meals like this healthy pasta salad, I’ve noticed a big difference in my energy. It gives me a balanced mix of carbs, protein, and healthy fats—ideal before a workout or to refuel afterward. Whether I’m training for a run or just tackling a busy day, this kind of salad keeps me going strong.
I’m currently training for the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim to Rim with some friends for June and then heading to the Europe in July to run the Alps. Follow my running adventures on Instagram!
Fresh Start: 10 Days of Real Salads
Boring salads? Not here! These 10 crave-worthy recipes are packed with flavor, crunch, and nutrients to help you feel good, slim down, and fall in love with real food again.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Every ingredient in this recipe is here for a purpose. The cannellini beans provide plant-based protein to help my muscles recover, while the farfalle pasta gives me the carbs I need to power through long runs. The olive oil and olives add healthy fats that keep me feeling full and satisfied, and the herbs and veggies pack in antioxidants to fight inflammation.
- Farfalle pasta: Choose whole wheat for more fiber; provides energy.
- Arugula: Look for a fresh, bright green bunch; rich in vitamins A, C, and K.
- Cannellini beans: Opt for low-sodium; high in protein and fiber.
- Red bell pepper : Look for firm, bright red ones; boosts immunity with vitamin C.
- Green onion: Select fresh, firm stalks; supports digestion.
- Black olives: Choose water- or brine-packed; good for heart health.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: Minimal preservatives are best; high in antioxidants.
- Fresh herbs: Store properly to keep fresh; aid digestion and reduce inflammation.
- Vegan feta: Go for nut- or tofu-based options; adds plant-based calcium.
How to Make Healthy Pasta Salad
I created this healthy pasta salad after Meal Planner member Jennifer told me she needed a quick and healthy lunch her high schooler could take to school. So that’s where this idea started. This salad is perfect for lunch, dinner, or even as a side dish.
I make a big batch on Sunday and keep it in the fridge for quick meals throughout the week. Sometimes, I’ll add some grilled chicken or pepitas for an extra protein boost. Follow along to learn how simple it is to make a healthy pasta salad.
1. Cook the pasta
Follow cooking directions on the pasta package, allowing the pasta to remain slightly undercooked. This will help keep the pasta from falling apart in the salad. Drain and rinse with cold water until pasta is completely cool, then drain well again.
2. Prepare the vinaigrette
While the pasta is cooling, mix all the Basic Vinaigrette ingredients in a bowl until combined.
3. Mix in vegetables
Place cooled pasta into a large bowl and add the beans, peppers arugula, tomatoes, olives and herbs. Gently toss.
4. Add dressing and mix well
Drizzle Basic Vinaigrette over the pasta salad and gently toss again. Top with feta cheese and additional spices if desired. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Storage Tips
Store in airtight containers in the fridge for 3-4 days. If you like your greens fresh, wait to add those until you’re ready to eat, so they don’t wilt. Follow my Meal Prep Salad tutorial to get the best containers and more in-depth tips.
Ingredient Swaps
Probably my favorite part about this healthy pasta salad is how much you can customize it to your taste preferences! Here are a few swaps I suggest if you want to try them:
- Swap olive oil with avocado oil.
- Swap red wine vinegar with the vinegar of your choice.
- Use your preferred pasta type, or use gluten-free.
- Cannellini beans can be swapped with another kind of legume (black beans, kidney beans or chickpeas are great swaps).
- Add the veggies of your choice! Radishes or cucumbers are great additions.
- Add sliced almonds, sunflower seeds or pepitas for an extra crunch.
If you’re looking for a simple, delicious, and healthy lunch recipe, this pasta salad is a must-try! Whether you’re training for a race or just trying to eat healthier, it’s a game-changer.
Common Questions
It doesn’t have to be! Ditch the store-made pasta salads made with additives and processed ingredients. Home make one instead with loads of fresh greens and a light, oil-based dressing.
This pasta salad should stay fresh in the fridge for up to five days since it is oil-based. Dairy or mayo-based salads will keep fewer days.
Choose a pasta salad that is oil-based (using healthy fats like olive oil or avocado oil) instead of dairy or mayonnaise-based, has plenty of fresh veggies and leafy greens and a good protein source like beans or tofu. This recipe’s got it all!
4 More Pasta Recipes to Try
Enjoy these other plant-based pasta recipes that I’ve created over the years.
If you make this healthy pasta salad recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment box below. Your feedback helps me and all the readers in this community. And if you’re interested in more plant-based recipes (and exclusive content), sign up for my weekly recipe newsletter.
Healthy Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- ½ cup farfalle pasta
- ¾ cup arugula
- ¾ cup cannellini beans canned, drained and well rinsed
- ¼ red bell pepper diced
- 1 green onion diced
- 2 tbsp black olives sliced
- 2 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- 2 tbsp fresh basil chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh mint chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- ¼ cup vegan feta or traditional
Basic Vinaigrette
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- ½ garlic clove finely minced
- ⅛ tsp sea salt, unrefined
- ⅛ tsp black pepper, ground
Instructions
- Follow cooking directions on pasta package for "al dente" (which allows pasta to remain slightly undercooked). This will help keep the pasta from falling apart in the salad. Drain and rinse with cold water until pasta is completely cool.
- While the pasta is cooling, mix all the Basic Vinaigrette ingredients together in a bowl until combined.
- Place cooled pasta into a large bowl and add the vegetables and herbs. Gently toss. Drizzle Basic Vinaigrette over the pasta salad and gently toss again. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- If meal prepping, transfer the salad to airtight containers and store in refrigerator until ready to use.
Notes
- Use the pasta of your choice: bowtie, fusilli, shells, etc.
- Arugula has a strong, peppery flavor. You can swap with kale or spinach.
- Cannellini beans can be swapped with the legume of your choice.
- I love using basil, oregano and chives yet you can any fresh herbs.
I used whole wheat penne and enjoyed it for lunch and will enjoy this for lunch tomorrow too
Excited to make it! I’m going to use honey to sweeten the dressing and mitigate the acid.
I liked it very much.
OMG this salad is delicious!! It’s everything you’d want for a tasty lunch. Love the bow tie pasta and all of the healthy ingredients and dressing.
Bow tie pasta is always fun!
Another yummy for the books.
1652 mg sodium per serving? That’s more than half of what should be eaten each day… I certainly expected to find this too salty, so I left it out of the vinaigrette and used fewer olives. Further, since I don’t care for sweetened dressings, I left out the syrup. I also used a brown rice pasta.
So good! I think this is the first time I’ve ever had arugula and it’s a winner for me! Teenage daughter liked it too. I just left out the olives. I love how easy the dressing is to make.
So glad you both enjoyed the Healthy Pasta Salad!
Loved this pasta salad we used this salad to complete a Greek dinner. We are not vegan and enjoy protein meat from time to time, so we paired this salad with chicken souvlaki.
Definitely will do this again.
Sounds so yummy!
My husband really liked this salad. I added extra fresh basil, mint, parsley and had the salad marinate longer. In addition I used kalamata olives which gave more flavor. In general I do not enjoy pasta salads, but this one turned out pretty good.
Pasta!! Who needs to say more? Yum
Yummy
This pasta salad was so good and very easy. It took no time at all. I will definitely be making this often in the summer time.
Good recipe. Kids liked it. Anything kids like gets 5 stars. Liked the combo of carbs, proteins and greens.
We enjoyed all the flavors. I added some artichoke that I had in the fridge and it went nicely with the flavor profile from the recipe.
Great combination of flavors! I never make pasta salads, so glad you had this one in the challenge. I love it.
I made this pasta salad and it was great until the next day. The pasta noodle hardened completely! I had to warm it up to soften the pasta. I did use gluten free but it was dressed as instructed. Why did it harden?
Thank u
Hmm. Was your storage container an air-tight container? That’s the only thing I could think of. Gluten free pasta should have been fine. I’m sorry that your pasta hardened. 🙁
I love that this pasta salad has leafy greens in it!
Absolutely, we love getting our greens in where we can! It’s a nice balance between having pasta and making it healthy.