I am a firm believer that eating healthier does not mean every meal needs to consist of grilled chicken, lettuce, and sadness.
Sometimes I want pasta.
So I threw together this ridiculously easy protein pasta salad, and it turned out too good not to share.
The idea was simple: take a classic cold pasta salad, add plenty of vegetables, use protein pasta instead of regular pasta, and keep the dressing a little lighter. No complicated ingredients. No meal-prepping for three hours. Just actual food that my family can eat too.
And LOOK at her.
What I Used
For this batch, I used:
- Protein rotini pasta
- Cucumber, chopped
- Fresh broccoli, cut into small florets
- Red bell pepper, chopped
- Cherry tomatoes, quartered or halved
- Colby Jack cheese, cubed
- Reduced-sugar Italian dressing
That’s it.
I didn’t measure the vegetables because this is very much a measure-with-your-heart recipe. If you love cucumber, add more cucumber. Want a ridiculous amount of broccoli? Go for it. Have some peppers sitting in the fridge that need used? Throw them in.
How I Made It
Cook the protein pasta according to the package directions, then drain it and let it cool.
While the pasta is cooling, chop the cucumber, broccoli, red pepper, tomatoes, and cheese into bite-sized pieces.
Add everything to a big bowl, pour in enough reduced-sugar Italian dressing to coat everything, and toss.
I like this one even better after it’s had some time in the refrigerator. The pasta absorbs some of the dressing, everything gets nice and cold, and all those flavors have a chance to hang out together.
Why Protein Pasta?
This is one of those tiny swaps I’ve been making that doesn’t really feel like a “healthy swap.”
I’m still eating pasta.
Protein pasta just gives me a little more protein than I would normally get from the same type of meal. Add the cheese and all of those vegetables, and suddenly my bowl of pasta is a much more satisfying meal.
That’s pretty much the entire philosophy I’ve been following lately.
I’m not trying to make every meal perfect.
I’m trying to make the foods I already enjoy work a little harder for me.
More protein. More vegetables. Less added sugar where I won’t miss it.
And then I eat the pasta.
Make It Your Own
There are about a million ways you could change this depending on what you have in the refrigerator. You could add grilled chicken for even more protein, swap in mozzarella or pepper jack, add olives, use different peppers, throw in some spinach, or add pepperoncini if you like a little tang.
Personally, I love the Colby Jack in this because every once in a while you get a big chunk of cheese with the crunchy vegetables and Italian dressing, and 10/10. No notes.
Healthy Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated
This is exactly the kind of recipe I want to keep making.
Nothing about it screams diet food. I’m not cutting out pasta. I’m not afraid of the cheese. I’m not weighing individual pieces of broccoli.
I’m just taking something I already like and finding an easy way to get some extra protein and vegetables into it.
Because apparently my version of “healthy” is a giant stainless-steel bowl of pasta and cheese.
And you know what?
I’m okay with that.
Healthy until proven complicated.