4-Ingredient Pasta Salad (Healthy)
An easy and tasty lunch with 9 grams of fiber. My healthy 4-ingredient pasta salad is the perfect meal prep lunch that’s ready in minutes. You’ll also love my pesto pasta salad, protein pasta salad, and green goddess chicken salad.
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Lunch can be annoying and disruptive, to say the least. But as a dietitian, I also know how important a balanced lunch is to staying focused, energized, and healthy.
That’s why I created this super easy recipe for 4-ingredient pasta salad.
This healthy and high fiber recipe will keep you nourished for hours, and it couldn’t be easier to make. And it actually tastes good, so you know it’s a healthy lunch that will leave you full and satisfied.
This pasta salad will be your new healthy meal prep staple. Make it at the start of the week, and you’ll have a balanced meal ready for your lunch break every single day.
Why you’ll love this 4 ingredient pasta salad
4 ingredients: It’s a balanced and delicious meal made with just a handful of ingredients.
High fiber: You’re getting 9 grams of fiber per serving to support your heart and gut health.
Vegetarian: This recipe is 100% vegetarian and doesn’t use any meat.
Super tasty: Pasta, a delicious dressing, and few more yummy ingredients make this a super satisfying meal.
Ready in minutes: This 4-ingredient pasta salad recipe comes together in less than 20 minutes and will make enough to feed you all week long.
Ingredients and substitutions
Seriously, you’ll only need four ingredients to make this healthy pasta salad:
- Rotini — Cook your rotini pasta in salted water and rinse. You’ll use a whole package, which is usually around 375 grams or 14 ounces. Feel free to swap rotini pasta for other shapes you enjoy, like farfalle (bowtie), penne, macaroni, or orecchiette. Scroll down for my recommendations on healthier pasta options you can use.
- Baby arugula — I like arugula in this 4-ingredient pasta salad because it’s got a delicious, peppery flavor. You could also use baby spinach, chopped cabbage, or finely chopped kale. If you’re making this salad for meal prep, feel free to leave the arugula out and add right before serving. This will make sure the arugula stays crisp and fresh.
- Canned chickpeas — I knew this simple recipe needed beans for their healthy fiber and protein. I’ve used canned chickpeas here because they’re easy and I love their texture. You could use any canned bean you enjoy instead, like a mixed bean medley, kidney beans, black beans, or lentils. Make sure you drain and rinse your canned beans well before using.
- Greek vinaigrette — I recommend using a store bought Greek vinaigrette to keep your life easy. You could make your own dressing if you’d prefer, or substitute Greek vinaigrette for other salad dressings like ranch, creamy Greek dressing, Italian vinaigrette, honey mustard dressing, or balsamic vinaigrette.
Brands I used
Here are the specific brands and products I used in this recipe:
- Catelli Smart Rotini
- Renee’s Mediterranean Greek Vinaigrette
These brands are readily available where I live in Canada, but feel free to use what you have and enjoy instead.
Dietary restrictions
Make these simple changes to accommodate your dietary needs.
Gluten-free: Use a certified gluten-free pasta and salad dressing.
Vegan: Use a plant-based salad dressing.
Sugar-free: Use a salad dressing with 0 grams of added sugar.
Higher protein: Add 4-6 oz of cooked protein to each serving. See below for my suggestions.
Higher fiber: Add a can of drained and rinsed lentils alongside your chickpeas.
Low sodium: Use a low sodium store bought dressing, or make your own at home.
How to make 4 ingredient pasta salad
This recipe couldn’t be easier! Simple add cooked pasta, arugula, chickpeas, and salad dressing to a large mixing bowl.
Then, toss to combine. If you’d prefer to keep the arugula fresh throughout the week, leave it out and add before serving.
Store your pasta salad in individually portioned food containers. When you’re ready to eat, add protein or optional toppings. Enjoy!
What’s the best healthy pasta for pasta salad?
The best pasta for this recipe depends on you and your goals! Here are some options that I’d recommend as a dietitian, and each of their benefits.
- “Smart” pasta: This is a great option because it has extra fiber (and sometimes extra protein), but it retains the texture most similar to regular pasta. An example is Catelli Smart Rotini, which is what I used in this recipe.
- Whole wheat pasta: It offers extra fiber and a good texture, but the whole grain flavor might not be preferred by everyone.
- Chickpea pasta: A great choice for extra fiber and protein, but it tends to disintegrate when handled. Examples include Banza or Chickapea.
- Red lentil pasta: This can be hard to find, but I love it for its extra protein and fiber. It also tends to be well tolerated for those who are sensitive to wheat. An example is Catelli Red Lentil Fusilli.
And of course, you could also use regular, white pasta. It’s really up to you!
How to add protein
I usually serve this 4-ingredient pasta salad with a quick and easy source of protein. Here are some ideas:
- Cooked rotisserie chicken
- Cubed extra firm tofu
- Canned tofu
- Canned salmon
- Hard boiled eggs
- Cottage cheese
More optional ingredient ideas
Here are more tasty ingredients you could add to this recipe:
- Sliced olives
- Feta cheese
- Pepperoncini peppers
- Mini bocconcini balls
- Hemp hearts
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Canned corn
- Red onion
- Roasted red peppers
- Sliced cucumber
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Storage instructions
Prepare the recipe as instructed, and store in individually-portioned food containers in the fridge. This recipe will stay good for up to four days with proper storage.
To prevent soggy greens, leave the arugula out and add right before serving. I don’t usually do this because I like the texture change of arugula — but if you want it to stay crisp, I’d recommend it!
Definitely dress your 4 ingredient pasta salad in advance regardless, because the flavor sinks in as it sits in the fridge. Feel free to add a little extra dressing as you serve.
More healthy lunches
Cottage cheese salad
Pesto egg salad
Tunacado copycat sandwich
Edamame and quinoa salad
Italian grinder bean salad
Pesto chicken quesadillas
Tortilla quiche with cottage cheese
Top tips
- Cook your pasta in heavily salted water for the best flavor.
- Dress the pasta salad before storing for the best flavor and texture throughout the week.
- Leave the arugula out and add before serving if you want it to stay super crisp.
Did you try this recipe?
Leave your rating and review below! And don’t forget to post a picture to Instagram, and tag me @real.life.nutritionist.
4-Ingredient Pasta Salad (Healthy)
Ingredients
- 1 375 g package rotini pasta, cooked and rinsed in cold water (notes 1, 2)
- 1 bag baby arugula, about 3 large handfuls
- 1 18-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 3/4 cup Greek vinaigrette, I used Renee's Mediterranean Greek Vinaigrette
To Serve (optional, per serving)
- 4-6 oz cooked protein (note 3)
Equipment
Instructions
- Add cooked pasta, arugula, chickpeas, and salad dressing to a large mixing bowl.
- Toss to combine. If you'd prefer to keep the arugula fresh throughout the week, leave it out and add before serving.
- Store your pasta salad in individually portioned food containers. When you're ready to eat, add optional toppings. Enjoy!
