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Meal Prep Pasta Salad

10 Secrets for a Perfect Meal Prep Pasta Salad

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A simple, fresh pasta salad ideal for meal prepping. It’s quick to make, stores well, and is packed with Mediterranean flavors.

  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 2 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 85g (3oz) pasta, such as penne or conchiglie
  • 1/2 unwaxed lemon, finely grated zest and juice
  • 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 tbsp olive oil, ideally extra virgin
  • 1/4 cucumber, peeled and cubed
  • 100g (3.5oz) cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • 15g (0.5oz) fresh basil, roughly chopped
  • 60g (2.25oz) feta, crumbled (optional)
  • handful pitted black olives (optional)
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Cook the pasta in a saucepan of boiling, salted water as per the packet instructions.
  2. Whisk together the lemon zest and juice, red onion, oil and a generous amount of pepper to make the dressing.
  3. Drain the pasta in a colander and run it under a cold tap until cooled completely.
  4. Stir the dressing, cucumber, tomatoes, basil, feta and olives, if using, into the pasta and serve or store for later.

Notes

  • Rinsing the pasta with cold water stops the cooking process and prevents it from sticking, making it perfect for a cold salad.
  • Cook pasta for the time specified on the packet for the best texture.
  • To stop noodles from absorbing all the dressing, ensure the pasta is completely cool before mixing.
  • For meal prep, store the dressing separately or place it at the bottom of the jar with pasta and vegetables on top to prevent sogginess.
  • Author: Livia Reed
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: No Cook (Assembly)
  • Cuisine: Mediterranean
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/2 recipe
  • Calories: 320
  • Sugar: 6g
  • Sodium: 450mg
  • Fat: 14g
  • Saturated Fat: 5g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 8g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 40g
  • Fiber: 4g
  • Protein: 11g
  • Cholesterol: 25mg