Pasta salad is kind of the ultimate meal prep for any time of year, even though we associate them mostly with warm weather because it can be served at room temperature or even chilled. It usually doesn’t need a lot of dressing or a heavy sauce. And you can put just about anything in a pasta salad, and it will taste great. Endlessly customizable! What’s in your fridge? We think you have the makings of at least one—or more —of these pasta meal preps!
If you already know you’re going to need containers for all of these salads, check out our handy guide: Meal Prep Containers 101, for everything you need!
Meal Prep Friendly Antipasto Salad
Use a small, fork-sized pasta and for this dish; we are happy with orzo, but ditalini would work here or even elbow macaroni! Think of this as the classic Italian cold appetizer with some extra carbs for oomph.
Chicken BLT Pasta Salad
Take the idea of a BLT and turn it into a no-reheat pasta dish with ranch dressing. Add some chicken, and you’ve got a filling and flavorful meal prep. Make the pasta gluten-free if needed!
Green Tuna Pasta Salad Recipe
Ok, so the tuna itself isn’t green! It’s the ingredients that go into it, which include basil, parsley, asparagus, and avocado. This is so good, you’ll want to try it with chicken and salmon, too! We keep making this one different ways and it’s good with all those proteins.
Southwestern Pasta Salad with Chili Lime Vinaigrette
So much flavor here! You’ll love this pasta dish with a zesty dressing. Use a plant-based pasta like we did here, if you need it to be gluten-free. These are flavors you don’t often see in pasta salad!
Gluten Free Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad Meal Prep
Whew. Say that three times fast! The addition of pasta (you can make it GF if needed, or not!) to chicken Caesar is a genius move. Toss with dressing before serving. Need a shortcut? Use rotisserie chicken!
Veggie Pesto Pasta with Chickpeas
You don’t have to reheat this delicious dish, with seasonal veggies and chickpeas! Pesto keeps it flavorful and saucy. Use jarred pesto or make your own if you’ve got a lot of basil. Feel free to swap white beans for the chickpeas; it’s equally good and keeps the Mediterranean vibe.
Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad
Buffalo chicken can be a messy thing to eat for lunch, and it might not be the best at room temperature. But the flavors translate well to this super tasty pasta dish. Toss with some blue cheese if you like, or ranch!
Italian Sausage Pasta Salad Meal Prep
It’s kind of like your antipasto approach, except a bit scaled back. The most fun part of this recipe? The mini mozzarella balls. You can buy them pre-marinated at lots of grocery store salad bars, or they’re also sold shrink-wrapped and labeled as “pearls.” Yum!
Cuban Pasta Salad Meal Prep
Think of the flavors you love from a Cuban sandwich, and imagine them in a pasta salad form: salami (or ham), Swiss cheese, dill pickles, cherry tomatoes, and red onion. It’s delicious and easy.
Turkey Club Pasta Salad
This salad is especially great because it’s portable, prepped right in the jar! You’ll want some sturdy iceberg lettuce, some cooked turkey (or chicken), and we are loving Green Goddess with this pasta salad but Caesar or a Dijon vinaigrette work great, too. You want something creamy that will work well with the turkey, bacon and rotini pasta!
Other Meal Preps to Try!
- 20 Meal Prep Salads You’ll Actually Enjoy
- Cold Lunch Ideas for When You Don’t Have a Microwave
- Meal Prep Salmon Poke Bowl
- 9 Dishes to Bring To Your Next Cookout
- 10 Incredible Egg Meal Preps
Did you make any of these pasta meal prep recipes? We’ve also got picnic food ideas and would love you to try Our Favorite Mac and Cheese, too! Please leave us some feedback in the comments and let us know what you thought, or if you have any questions!
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