Healthy Pasta Salad Lunches

With tips from Katrina Warner, instructor of culinary arts

Pasta salads make an easy lunch to pre-pack in containers on Sunday and grab all week long. Enjoy with toasted bread, crackers or gluten-free choices. If following a gluten-free diet, substitute tortellini with 8oz (dry weight) of your favorite GF pasta. Cook as directed on package.

These creamy pasta salads are lower in calories and fat compared to a classic pasta salad. Using whole-wheat pasta and loading it with plenty of vegetables makes it as nutritious as it is delicious.

Chicken Tortellini Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing

Pasta Salad

• 1 package cheese-filled tortellini
• 2½ cups chicken, cooked and diced
  • If in a hurry, pull meat from grocery store rotisserie chicken, any flavor. This salad is also great for leftover chicken.
• Optional:
  • black olives
  • cherry tomatoes
  • artichoke hearts
  • avocado
  • celery
  • any other chopped vegetables

Dressing

• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded, coarsely chopped
• 1 clove garlic
• ¾ tsp. minced fresh ginger root
• 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
• ¼ cup cilantro leaves, packed
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Method

1. Cook tortellini per package instructions. Immediately drain and submerge in ice water for several minutes. Drain again and gently mix with chicken and other optional ingredients.
2. To create the dressing, finely chop the jalapeño, garlic and ginger in a food processor. Add lime juice, honey, vinegar and cilantro. Pulse a few times to blend. With the food processor on low, slowly drizzle in olive oil. Season to taste with salt, if needed.
3. Pour dressing over pasta mixture and gently stir to combine.

Broccoli & Feta Pasta Salad

Pasta Salad

• 8 oz. (about 3 cups) whole-wheat fusilli, uncooked
  • can substitute gluten free or vegetable flavored
• 2 cups fresh broccoli, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1¾ cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
• 15-oz. canned chickpeas, rinsed well and dry
• ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled

Dressing

• 1 clove garlic, minced or 1 teaspoon garlic paste
  • available in tubes at any grocery store
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ½ cup buttermilk
• ¼ cup reduced-calorie mayonnaise
• 3 tbsp. chopped fresh dill or 1 tablespoon dried
  • tarragon or basil can be substituted for dill
• 1 tbsp. distilled white vinegar

Method

1. Cook pasta per package instructions. Immediately drain and submerge in ice water for several minutes. Drain again and gently mix with broccoli, tomatoes, chickpeas and cheese.
2. To create the dressing, make a paste by mashing the garlic and salt together with the back of a spoon. To the paste, whisk in all other ingredients until well combined.
3. Pour dressing over pasta mixture, gently stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper, as desired.

Ham & Cheddar Pasta Salad

Pasta Salad

• 10 oz. whole-wheat elbow noodles, uncooked
• 1 cup ham, diced
  • or cooked turkey, if preferred
• 1¾ cups button mushrooms, sliced
• 1¾ cups peas, fresh or frozen (thawed)
  • do not use canned peas
• ¼ cup sweet onion, finely chopped
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• ½ cup diced cheddar cheese

Dressing

• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ½ cup buttermilk
  • or add ½ teaspoon lemon juice to ½ cup milk and allow to thicken for a few minutes before mixing in dressing
• ¼ cup reduced-calorie mayonnaise
• 3 tbsp. chopped fresh dill or 1 tablespoon dried
  • tarragon or basil can be substituted for dill
• 1 tbsp. distilled white vinegar

Method

1. Cook pasta per package instructions. Immediately drain and submerge in ice water for several minutes. Drain again and gently mix with ham, mushrooms, peas, onion, egg and cheese.
2. To create the dressing, make a paste by mashing the garlic and salt together with the back of a spoon. To the paste, whisk in all other ingredients until well combined.
3. Pour dressing over pasta mixture, gently stir to combine.