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High Protein Italian Pasta Salad

A quick and easy high protein salad featuring protein pasta, meats, cheese, and fresh vegetables, perfect for lunch or dinner.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Salad
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 350
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta and Dressing
  • 1 8 oz box protein or chickpea rotini pasta or any shape you like
  • 3/4 cup Olive Garden light Italian dressing (192 g)
Vegetables
  • 1/2 large red onion chopped into small pieces (120 g)
  • 1 large bell pepper red, yellow, or orange (170 g), chopped
  • 1 medium cucumber peeled and diced (250 g)
Meats and Cheese
  • 1 package smoked deli ham chopped (8 oz or 224 g)
  • 1 package turkey pepperoni chopped (5 oz or 140 g)
  • 5 oz light Italian dry salami (140 g), chopped
  • 4 slices ultra-thin provolone cheese chopped
  • 1/2 cup feta cheese (56 g)
Optional Herbs
  • to taste Fresh basil optional

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Cook the protein or chickpea pasta until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water.
  2. Chop the red onion, bell pepper, and cucumber into small, even pieces.
  3. Slice the smoked ham, turkey pepperoni, dry salami, and provolone into bite-sized pieces.
Mixing
  1. In a large bowl, combine pasta, vegetables, meats, and cheeses. Add crumbled feta.
  2. Pour the light Italian dressing over the salad and toss to coat everything.
  3. Add fresh basil if you like and toss again.
Chill
  1. Chill the salad for at least 30 minutes so the flavors meld.

Notes

Serve chilled and add a little extra feta or basil on top. Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Rinse pasta with cold water to stop cooking and keep firm texture. Use light dressing for lower calories.