Healthy Pasta Salad Recipes

This quick, healthy Greek pasta salad recipe is tossed with all the elements of a Greek salad--plus chickpeas for added protein. This pasta salad holds well in the refrigerator or a cooler and tastes even better as the pasta absorbs the tomato-infused vinaigrette. Serve with pita chips.

A great make-ahead entree, this lightened-up pasta salad is loaded with broccoli and peppers. Smoky ham and sweet raisins give it plenty of punch. Enjoy the leftovers for a fuss-free lunch. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell.

This delicious pasta salad recipe is made with zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, arugula and chunk light tuna, which is lower in mercury than white albacore tuna. For the best flavor, combine the pasta salad with the dressing about 1 hour before serving. If you're looking for an environmentally sustainable canned tuna option, check the label--tuna that was caught by troll or pole-and-line is considered the best choice, according to Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch Program. Or look for the blue Certified Sustainable Seafood label from the Marine Stewardship Council.

Everyone will love this Mexican-inspired pasta salad recipe. We lighten up the creamy dressing with avocado for a healthier version of a picnic favorite.

This crowd-pleasing pasta salad is potluck-perfect for barbecue season.

This cold pesto pasta salad will cool you off on a summer day. Fresh tomatoes and roasted red peppers add a pop of bright color and juiciness here, but any of your favorite pasta-salad veggies, like blanched broccoli and fresh bell peppers, would be delicious too.

You'll end up with more peanut sauce than you need in this zucchini noodle recipe, and that's a good thing! It makes a great dip or stir-fry sauce.

This pasta- and tuna-salad mashup gets a boost of color and texture from broccoli. Plenty of Kalamata olives add a briny bite. Be sure to monitor the pasta-cooking carefully, as orzo can go from al dente to mush in a minute. If in doubt, drain it a little early--it'll soften further in the lemon dressing.

Consider making a double batch of this easy pasta salad--it's delicious the next day. The orzo will absorb the dressing as it sits, so add a little more olive oil and lemon juice if you'd like.

This light and tangy cucumber pasta salad is fresh and bright. The orecchiette pasta holds the dressing for flavor in every bite, but you can use another small pasta shape if you like. This easy salad is perfect for a warm day or to serve as a lunch dish for company! For a fruitier flavor, try apple-cider vinegar in place of white distilled vinegar.

Bring this quintessential Southern macaroni salad, made with whole-wheat macaroni, celery, peas and ham, to your next picnic or barbecue. It's the perfect salad to feed a crowd!

Need something to bring to a party or backyard barbecue? This make-ahead chicken pasta salad recipe is classic and completely adaptable-you can swap in whatever veggies, herbs or cheese you like.

This lovely Mediterranean orzo salad is rich with basil, grilled vegetables and tender fresh mozzarella cheese. The combination of vegetables, vinaigrette and fresh basil is a perfect base for the orzo and the cheese.

You don't have to be vegan to enjoy this vegan macaroni salad! The colorful array of veggies give it texture and flavor and help make it lighter than traditional pasta salads. It's perfect to bring along to your next picnic or potluck.

We've loaded this healthy pasta salad with vegetables and flavors of the Mediterranean. Sun-dried tomatoes and a touch of lemon zest jazz up the dressing, while tender-crisp broccoli florets cook alongside the pasta, making assembly (and cleanup!) a breeze.

Pasta salad is a classic summer side dish, but adding protein (leftover grilled chicken is perfect here) and extra greens makes it a super-satisfying lunch. We use baby spinach, but arugula or baby kale works too. Top with a bright and tangy basil vinaigrette just before serving. The great news is that these easy meal-prep lunches take just 20 minutes to prepare--that's 4 days of lunches in less than 30 minutes.

This easy pasta salad with smoked salmon and peas and a creamy buttermilk-herb dressing takes just 20 minutes to make. Frozen peas are cooked right in the same pot as the pasta, and the dressing is whipped up in the serving bowl, saving you time and dishes! It's the perfect fresh and healthy dinner to add to your weeknight rotation and would also be lovely for a luncheon or brunch. But given how easy it is, it could also be an elegant take-to-work lunch.

You might not think to use hummus as a pasta sauce, but the creamy dip makes the perfect backdrop to the bold flavors of this healthy Mediterranean-inspired pasta salad.

A light and creamy green-salsa dressing highlights this easy pasta salad with Southwestern flavors.

It's amazing what an intriguing, nutty flavor just one teaspoon of sesame oil brings to this cold pork noodle bowl recipe. Find it in the Asian ingredients aisle of your supermarket.

This easy pasta recipe stars spring vegetables--classic asparagus as well as escarole, a member of the chicory family with a slightly bitter flavor. Escarole cooks quickly and is ideal for wilting into soups and pasta dishes. It can also be eaten raw in salads. It looks like green-leaf lettuce but its leaves are sturdier and a bit curly; you can find it the produce section of large supermarkets.

This chilled tortellini salad is full of broccoli, carrots, and pea pods. It can be made anywhere from 2 to 24 hours before serving so it's perfect for picnics or potlucks!

Crunchy colorful vegetables are the highlight of this soutwestern-inspired pasta salad, which can be served at room temperature or chilled. The creamy dressing is made with spinach, cilantro and almonds, and has a touch of zesty crushed red pepper--be prepared for a flavor explosion in every bite!

This simple chilled ravioli salad is bursting with vegetables--broccoli, carrots, tomato, and pea pods. It's a good choice for summer picnics or barbecues. Using purchased Italian salad dressing saves prep time, and you can easily substitute other reduced-calorie dressings to switch up the flavor.

To lighten up this macaroni salad recipe, we use a blend of light mayonnaise and fat-free yogurt. It's full of unexpected veggies--snap peas, broccoli florets, and roasted red peppers--and if you opt to add hard cooked eggs, you'll get an extra boost of protein!