High Protein Pasta Salad

A bowl of pasta salad with curly noodles, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, olives, sliced salami, yellow bell pepper, and green onions, all tossed in a creamy dressing.

5 from 5 votes

Say hello to your new favorite summer side (or main!)—this High Protein Creamy Pasta Salad is bringing the flavor and the fuel. 20g of protein per serving.

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Course: dinner, lunch

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 194kcal

Author: Agnieszka

Ingredients

8 oz Barilla protein pasta
2 Persian cucumbers cut into half slices
8 oz cherry tomatoes halved
¼ cup kalamata olives sliced
2 green onions sliced thin
4 oz feta cheese cubed small or crumbled
3 oz salami cut into thin strips
½ bell pepper diced, yellow or orange
⅔ cup creamy Italian salad dressing with Greek yogurt

Instructions

Boil pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain on a colander and rinse with cold water to cool. Drain well.
In a large mixing bowl combine the cooked pasta, cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, salami, kalamata olives and green onions. Pour in ⅔ of the creamy Italian dressing.
Mix well with a rubber spatula or a spoon.
Sprinkle with feta cheese and add the remaining dressing (if desired). Mix gently to incorporate.
Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Notes

You don't need to be using Barilla Protein Pasta for this recipe - regular, whole wheat or chickpea (or other alternative flour pasta) will all work. Keep in mind that nutritional value will change if you make swaps.

Make sure to cook the pasta al dente - you don't want overcooked, mushy pasta in this salad.

If you don't like salami, you can use deli turkey or ham instead.

For a more pronounced onion flavor, swap green onions for chopped or sliced red onion.

I like this salad with briny feta cheese but you can also use chopped or pearl mozzarella, if you prefer.

Nutrition