Skip to main content

Mix and Match Pasta Salad

Enjoy a pasta salad in under 30 minutes, made from the ingredients you have on hand! Change the flavors and match your food preferences with different proteins, veggies and dressing.
Mix and Match Pasta Salad
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Makes: 6 cups
Nutrition Facts: View label

Ingredients

(See Notes for ingredient ideas)
1 cup pasta, uncooked (about 2 1/2 cups cooked)
1 ½ cups bite-sized protein
1 ½ cups bite-sized vegetables, fresh, canned or frozen 
¼ cup salad dressing

Directions

  1. Wash hands with soap and water.
  2. Rinse or scrub fresh produce under cool running water before preparing.
  3. Cook pasta according to package directions.
  4. While pasta is cooking, combine protein, vegetables and salad dressing in a large bowl.
  5. Drain cooked pasta and add to bowl of vegetables. Stir to combine. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
  6. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

Notes

  • Ingredient Ideas

Pasta - shapes such as macaroni, bow tie or rotini. Save a half cup of the cooking water in case you want to add moisture at the end.

Protein - any mixture of cooked chicken, beef, pork, seafood, tofu, beans, lentils, cheese, or eggs.

Vegetables - any mixture of fresh, canned or frozen. Cook frozen vegetables according to package directions before adding. Partially cook hard vegetables such as carrots, broccoli and cauliflower. You can also add grated vegetables. 

Salad Dressing - use a prepared dressing or try a Food Hero recipe.

  • Try adding fresh herbs such as chopped parsley or cilantro for more flavor and color.
  • Try adding chopped nuts, seeds, olives or dried fruit for flavor and texture. 

Comments

I made this Mix and Match Pasta Salad today and it is such an easy recipe! I love that you can mix and match different ingredients. I used bell peppers, olives, green onions, celery, cheese cubes, and a dill dressing. The best part is I have leftovers for a quick snack or side dish.

This is a simple and easy pasta salad framework to use up surpluses of veggies from gardens! I used vegetables such as zucchini, cucumber, radish, green onion and tomato. I used whole wheat pasta, low-fat Italian dressing from the store and shredded parmesan cheese. 

I think a great combination would be whole wheat pasta, any veggies, Food Hero Honey Mustard, ham cubes, egg and low-fat cheddar cheese cubes! Going to try this combination next. 

This pasta salad recipe would be fun to send to friends and family and have everyone suggest different combinations. 

You might also like...

Recipes A to Z (without photos)

Chicken and Black Bean Salsa Burritos
Bean and chicken mix wrapped in flour tortillas and tin foil shown on plates.

Chicken and Black Bean Salsa Burritos

Tortillas are rolled around a flavorful filling of beans, spices and chicken. Kids and adults will love them for a quick and tasty breakfast, lunch or dinner!
Prepare:
20 minutes
Cook:
30 minutes
Makes:
4 Burritos
Honey Mustard Dressing
Bottle of dressing displayed with a salad.

Honey Mustard Dressing

Homemade yogurt-based honey mustard dressing- sweet and tangy!
Prepare:
5 minutes
Makes:
12 tablespoons
Sautéed Leeks and Apples
 Bowl of tender leeks and red apples.

Sautéed Leeks and Apples

A sweet and savory side dish perfect for fall.
Prepare:
10 minutes
Cook:
10 minutes
Makes:
4 Cups
Baked Zucchini Sticks
Breaded and baked zucchini slices are shown on a serving platter with a side of marinara sauce.

Baked Zucchini Sticks

Everyone will love these baked zucchini sticks. Enjoy as an appetizer or side with your favorite sauce.
Prepare:
20 minutes
Cook:
15 minutes
Makes:
8 cups
Spinach and Chicken Italian
Baking dish with chicken, spinach, sauce and cheese.

Spinach and Chicken Italian

Tender chicken breast topped with spinach, tomato sauce, and creamy cheese, then baked for a delicious and satisfying meal.
Prepare:
5 minutes
Cook:
30 minutes
Makes:
7 cups
Banana Boats
Grilled bananas topped with pineapple and shredded coconut shown on a serving platter.

Banana Boats

Try this tasty and healthy campfire treat. A fun recipe for kids to help make!
Prepare:
5 minutes
Cook:
5 minutes
Makes:
1 banana
Was this page helpful to you?
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.