Healthy Pasta Salad Recipes

Find healthy, delicious pasta salad recipes including tortellini salad, Greek pasta salad and low-calorie pasta salad. Healthier recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

Greek Pasta Salad

Rating: Unrated
8
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.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Broccoli, Ham & Pasta Salad

Rating: Unrated
7
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.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Vegetable & Tuna Pasta Salad

Rating: Unrated
3
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.
By Stacy Fraser

Mexican Pasta Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing

Rating: Unrated
8
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.
By Breana Killeen

Curried Chicken & Pasta Salad

Rating: Unrated
11
This crowd-pleasing pasta salad is potluck-perfect for barbecue season.
By Patsy Jamieson

Mediterranean Chicken with Orzo Salad

Rating: Unrated
6
Baked chicken breasts cook in the oven while you mix together a Mediterranean salad--packed with veggies, whole-wheat orzo and an easy homemade Greek vinaigrette--for a weekend-worthy dinner on the table in under an hour. The leftovers from this healthy 400-calorie meal make a delicious packable lunch for the next day.
By Carolyn Casner

Chicken Caprese Pasta Salad Bowls

Rating: Unrated
2
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.
By Carolyn A. Hodges, R.D.

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Rating: Unrated
1
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.
By Sara Haas, R.D.N., L.D.N.

Mediterranean Broccoli Pasta Salad

Rating: Unrated
2
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.
By Karen Rankin

Pesto Pasta Salad

Rating: Unrated
1
A creamy pesto sauce turns this simple pasta salad into a delightful dinner. Adding broccoli to the pasta cooking water just before the pasta is done is a convenient way to briefly cook it so that it turns a vivid shade of green and softens slightly.
By Carolyn Casner

Tex-Mex Pasta Salad

A light and creamy green-salsa dressing highlights this easy pasta salad with Southwestern flavors.
By Sara Haas, R.D.N., L.D.N.

Couscous & Chickpea Salad

Cooked couscous and canned chickpeas come together in this quick lunch salad. The basil vinaigrette makes it taste anything but basic! When in season, we recommend adding fresh chopped tomatoes for a spin on tabbouleh.
By Katie Webster

Inspiration and Ideas

How to Make Healthier Pasta Salad

How to Make Healthier Pasta Salad

EatingWell's Jessie Price shows you how to make a pasta salad recipe with healthy substitutes for mayonnaise.
How to Make Mexican Pasta Salad

How to Make Mexican Pasta Salad

A quick homemade avocado dressing pulls together the Mexican flavors in this healthy pasta salad recipe.
Download a FREE Pasta Salad Cookbook!

Download a FREE Pasta Salad Cookbook!

10 Vegetarian Pasta Salads Ready in 25 Minutes

10 Vegetarian Pasta Salads Ready in 25 Minutes

7 Vegan Pasta Salad Recipes

7 Vegan Pasta Salad Recipes

17 Creamy Pasta Salad Recipes

17 Creamy Pasta Salad Recipes

Dill-Pickle Pasta Salad with Creamy Dill Dressing

Rating: Unrated
1

If you're a fan of pickles, this easy pasta salad will easily become your go-to. If you want to give it some extra kick, an additional teaspoon or two of hot sauce will do the trick. Pair it with anything hot off the grill or pack it up for a picnic. It can also easily translate from a side dish to an entree by adding a can of flaked tuna or shredded chicken.

All Healthy Pasta Salad Recipes

Macaroni Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing

Give classic pasta salad a fresher, more flavorful spin. This fast pasta dish calls for avocado to replace some of the mayonnaise, which makes it extra creamy. Whole-wheat elbow macaroni and fresh vegetables lighten up this healthy pasta salad that you'll be making all summer long.
By Carolyn Casner

Cold Noodle Salad

Rating: Unrated
1
This Asian-inspired cold noodle salad with peanut butter, snow pea pods, chicken, and bell pepper is easy to make ahead and pack for lunch.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Pasta, Tuna & Roasted Pepper Salad

Rating: Unrated
7
The secret to this delicious pasta salad is a creamy low-fat dressing made with bottled roasted red peppers. If you have cooked chicken on hand, you can substitute it for the tuna.
By Ruth Cousineau

Orzo Chicken Salad with Avocado-Lime Dressing

Rating: Unrated
2
The creamy quick-blend dressing is just the thing to top this inspired Southwest pasta salad. Both can be made a day ahead.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad

Rating: Unrated
4
This creamy crowd-pleasing pasta salad features the tantalizing flavors of Buffalo chicken with a healthy dose of vegetables. Bring it to your next potluck or picnic, or whip it up for game day.
By Hilary Meyer

Smoked Salmon Pasta Salad

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.
By Robby Melvin

Broccoli & Feta Pasta Salad

Rating: Unrated
1
This vegetarian pasta salad recipe is perfect for your next potluck or as an easy side dish. The broccoli keeps it nice and crunchy and the chickpeas add protein. For the best flavor, combine the pasta salad with the dressing about 1 hour before serving.
By Stacy Fraser

Cucumber Pasta Salad

Rating: Unrated
1
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.
By Sarah Epperson

Southern Macaroni Salad

Rating: Unrated
1
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!
By Pam Lolley

Chicken & Spring Vegetable Tortellini Salad

Store-bought tortellini and frozen peas keep things quick in this healthy 30-minute meal. Jazzed-up bottled salad dressing helps you go even faster. Look for one with 200 mg or less of sodium and 3 g or less of sugar per serving.
By Breana Killeen

Spring Pasta with Escarole

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.
By Andrea Kirkland M.S., RD

Garden Pasta Salad

Rating: Unrated
22
This lightly dressed pasta salad gets lots of flavor from Kalamata olives and basil. A colorful mix of diced bell pepper, shredded carrot and tomatoes adds vitamins and minerals. Serve on a crisp bed of greens. Toss in canned chunk light tuna, cooked chicken or flavored baked tofu to add protein and make it more substantial.
By Patsy Jamieson

Tortellini Salad

Rating: Unrated
4
A tomato-rich dressing boosts the flavor and lowers calories and fat in this tortellini salad (the dressing is also great on green salads or grilled fish). Roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes add a good dose of vitamins A, C and fiber.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Chicken & Blueberry Pasta Salad

Rating: Unrated
16
Yes, blueberries and pasta. The addition of poached chicken and feta cheese makes this dish into a light and satisfying summer supper that's also great for a potluck. If you already have some leftover chicken, skip Step 1 and add shredded chicken in Step 4.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Confetti Pasta Bento Box

Cook extra pasta with dinner and set it aside to make an easy pasta salad you can pack for lunch the following day. Add beans, leftover chicken, deli turkey or tuna for extra protein.
By Carolyn A. Hodges, R.D.

Walnut Pesto Pasta Salad

Rating: Unrated
1
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.
By Adam Dolge

Spinach & Dill Pasta Salad

Edamame gives this veggie-packed vegan pasta salad a bit of feel-full protein. Serve topped with extra freshly ground pepper, if desired.
By Breana Killeen

Noodle Salad with Tofu

We've kept it simple with just rice noodles in this healthy vegan noodle salad recipe, but if you want to go wild, use wheat noodles, glass noodles or even your favorite spiralized veggie noodles.
By Kate Leahy

Melon & Chicken Pasta Salad

Rating: Unrated
2
Melon, prosciutto and dried cranberries pair well together in this chicken pasta salad recipe. Fresh grilled chicken breast is best, but you can save time by using roasted or grilled chicken from the supermarket. For the best flavor, combine the pasta salad with the dressing about 1 hour before serving.
By Stacy Fraser

Make-Ahead Chicken Pasta Salad

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.
By Cooking Light

Cilantro-Lime Pasta Salad

You may not be in the islands at this very moment, but you can certainly pretend to be while eating this tropical-inspired pasta salad--featuring grilled chicken, creamy avocadoes and sweet mango, tossed with lime-cilantro dressing.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Vegan Macaroni Salad

Rating: Unrated
2
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.
By Pam Lolley

Macaroni Salad

Rating: Unrated
4
Old-fashioned macaroni salad sometimes contains jarred pimientos, diced ham or pickle relish, but this version is simple and deliciously plain with fresh chopped celery, carrot and onion. A combination of low-fat mayo and sour cream lightens up the dressing, and whole-wheat elbow noodles, spinach and edamame add extra nutrients.
By Virginia Willis

Picnic Bento Lunch

Rating: Unrated
1
Get all the flavors of al fresco dining wherever you are. This easy and healthy packable lunch idea includes all your picnic favorites for a satisfying meal to take to work.
By Holley Grainger, M.S., R.D.N.
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