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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.
Why This Recipe Rawks
Since I started incorporating more nutrient-dense meals like this healthy pasta salad, I’ve noticed a huge difference in my energy levels. It provides a balanced mix of carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats to fuel endurance and support recovery.
Farfalle pasta delivers sustained energy, while cannellini beans and vegan feta supply muscle-repairing protein. Olive oil and black olives offer heart-healthy fats for long-lasting fuel, and hydrating veggies like arugula and bell pepper replenish essential vitamins and minerals.
Antioxidant-rich sun-dried tomatoes and fresh herbs help reduce inflammation and keep the body strong. Whether eaten before a workout for lasting energy or after to aid recovery, this nutrient-packed salad is a delicious way to support an active lifestyle!
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!
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!
3 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 pre-washed
- 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, mint and 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.
We really liked this one! I used garbanzo & made an easy vegan feta. We’ll look forward to having this one again. (Next time more pasta & garbanzos.)
I made mine hot! Very good!
This Healthy pasta salad was awesome. I used Gluten free pasta as I have Celiac and used Goat Cheese feta as I am also dairy free. Good flavors and textures. This was my husbands favorite so far. Took some to my lil’ Italian neighbor and friend and she really enjoyed it as well.
Very tasty. It doesn’t actually have a lot of pasta in it, so I don’t have to feel guilty when eating it. Good combo of flavours. Filling.
Easy to put together. Next time will use larger pasta. This time used protein added elbow macaroni which seemed like the ratio was a little too much pasta.
How can every salad be great. This one was so filling with the beans and the flavors Oh My. So perfect for a quiet Sunday afternoon.
This was a great pasta salad. If possible make a couple hours before serving so the flavors infuse.
That’s a great suggestion!
Good flavor. I used lima beans in place of cannelini.
Loved this salad and the dressing was delicious!
Really enjoyed this salad. I doubled the recipe to have leftovers. I used chickpeas instead of white beans since I had some left over from another salad this week. I also used some marinated artichokes. When I make it again, I think I’ll use some shredded carrots, and some thawed frozen peas. The dressing and the feta cheese mellowed the strong peppery flavor of the arugula. I used it as a supper time salad, but will only use it as a side next time as it was too much for me. This is one salad that you can modify easily to fit your taste buds.
We really liked this one! I used garbanzo & made an easy vegan feta. We’ll look forward to having this one again. (Next time more pasta & garbanzos.)
Pasta salad was very dry but that was probably my fault since I used a whole box of pasta instead of what the recipe called for. I increased the add ins but not the dressing. I ended up adding a bottled cilantro lime dressing that I had and it helped. Hopefully the leftover pasta salad will be better once the dressing has time to meld with the other ingredients. Next time I will follow directions more closely.
This is no ordinary pasta salad; in fact, it is GREAT! I opted to use a little more arugula and wilt it a bit and make this a tepid/warm salad. I lightly sautéed some small bits of asparagus, and added the cannellini beans and including several different colors of peppers. The dressing was easy to make and we opted out of using the maple syrup. In lieu of the vegan feta I used almond milk shreds from Trader Joes. All of the flavors were quite magical together. Will definitely become a staple in our household!
Way to make it your own, it sounds SOOO good!
This is definitely a keeper for me. My husband liked it too. He has never had so many salads. I used red lentil pasta and topped it with a bit of goat cheese. It was a great meal to have after a weekend of long-distance cycling and running.
This was wonderful. We discussed things to add to make it a dinner meal as we savored the salad. Will make again Dressing great too. I used 1 T of sun dried tomatoEVOO and 1 T of roasted onion EVOO We paired it with barley soup made from leftover barley. Great meal.
Loved the pasta salad lots of colour and great taste!
Not gonna lie, I didn’t make it as written. Not a fan of arugula, so subbed with baby spinach. Subbed leftover cherry tomatoes for the sundried tomatoes. Wasn’t impressed with the dressing, it was pretty bland. We added our favorite Italian dressing and it was much better.