Great make ahead-meal with fresh veggies, Italian herbs and a tangy dressing.
Tomato Pasta Salad
Ingredients
4 cups cooked rotini pasta
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 cup chopped broccoli
¼ cup sliced black olives
2 teaspoons dry Italian herbs
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces low-fat Italian salad dressing (about 1 cup)
Directions
- Wash hands with soap and water.
- Rinse fresh vegetables under running water before preparing.
- Combine the cooked pasta, tomatoes, broccoli and black olives together in a bowl.
- Add the herbs, cheese and salad dressing. Stir together and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Photo and recipe adapted from Nutrition Matters.
Notes
- Try adding other vegetables such as corn, cucumber and avocado.
- Try whole-wheat pasta.
- Low-fat vinaigrette salad dressing also works in this recipe.
You might also like...
High Protein Banana Split
High Protein Banana Split
A protein-packed breakfast or snack recipe. Bananas are topped with Greek yogurt, cereal, fruit and honey.
Prepare:
10 minutes
Makes:
2 servings
Strawberry Salsa
Strawberry Salsa
A colorful salsa with sweet strawberries, tangy citrus and a little bit of spice!
Prepare:
20 minutes
Makes:
2 cups
Potato Nachos
Potato Nachos
These potato nachos make for a flavorful, filling and nutritious meal. Add your favorite nacho toppings!
Prepare:
30 minutes
Cook:
30 minutes
Makes:
5 cups
Fruit Smoothie 2 (with milk)
Fruit Smoothie 2 (with milk)
A delicious homemade fruit-flavored shake for breakfast, snack or on-the-go!
Prepare:
5 minutes
Makes:
6 cups
Salsa Macha
Salsa Macha
You will love this pepper-infused oil made with hot peppers, garlic and peanuts. It is delicious drizzled on just about anything and stores well in your refrigerator or freezer.
Prepare:
20 minutes
Cook:
20 minutes
Makes:
1 ½ cups
Fiesta Barley Salad
Fiesta Barley Salad
A bright and colorful salad with a combination of grains, veggies and fruit.
Prepare:
15 minutes
Cook:
45 minutes
Makes:
7 cups
Comments
This Tomato Pasta Salad recipe makes a perfect quick and easy side dish! I have only gotten positive reviews on the flavor and the leftovers keep well in the fridge if you are making it the day before the event.
I seem to always have some kind of noodle at home and some Italian dressing somewhere in my fridge....thus this recipe is a super accessible one for me! For the rest of the ingredients, I add what I have on hand. This is one of my go-to packed lunches I make for myself -- for a couple of days at a time.
We substituted 2 cups of asparagus instead of the broccoli, and high school students loved it!