Recipe developed by Chloe Grubb
One Batch. Three Lunches. Endless Possibilities.
Finding one lunch everyone will actually eat isn't always easy. That's why we love this customizable pasta salad. Start with one fresh, flavorful base, then let everyone build their own version with their favorite toppings.
Pile on salami and olives, keep it simple with mozzarella and tomatoes, add grilled chicken for extra protein, or skip the mix-ins altogether for picky eaters. One batch makes multiple lunches without feeling like you're eating the exact same thing every day.
How We Packed It For Lunch
For our family, this recipe packed two work lunches and one kid lunch, and still left enough for leftovers later in the week.
- PlanetGoods To-Go Salad Bowl Kit: Perfect for customizable work lunches. Fill the bowl with the pasta salad base, then use the nesting toppings tray to keep proteins, cheeses, olives, herbs, or crunchy toppings separate until lunchtime. Shake everything together when you're ready to eat.
- Voyager Leakproof Lunch Box: A kid-friendly version with plain pasta, mozzarella pearls, crackers, fruit, and veggies packed separately so every bite stays just the way they like it.
- PlanetGoods Glass Food Storage: Store the remaining pasta salad in our Glass Food Storage containers for quick grab-and-go lunches throughout the week.
Ingredients
For the Pasta Salad Base:
- 1 lb short pasta pasta, (such as bowtie (farfalle), macaroni, rotini, fusilli, etc.)
- 2 cucumbers , halved lengthways and sliced
- 3 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 8 oz mozzarella pearls
- 1 packed cup basil leaves, torn by hand
For the Marinade:
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup red wine or apple cider vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 2 tsp honey or maple syrup
- 1 1/2 tsp Italian herbs mix (store bought, or a mix of whatever Italian herbs you have on hand)
- 3/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Choose Your Own Adventure Mix-In Ideas:
*(roughly 2-3 cups total, see recipe note):
- Sliced salami/pepperoni
- Canned tuna/sardines
- Shredded chicken
- Leafy greens (such as arugula or spinach)
- More soft herbs (parsley, dill, marjoram, chives, etc.)
- Thinly sliced red onion
- Baby bell pepper
- Pepperoncini
- Roughly chopped olives (such as castelvano or kalamata)
- Cubed cheese
- Crispy onions
- Pine nuts
- Other favorite dressings (such as ranch, balsamic, etc)
Instructions
- Make Dressing: Put all dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well.
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook the pasta until it is very soft, about 2-3 minutes longer than the time on the packet. You want it softer than normal, because once it is cold it hardens up.
- Prep Cooked Pasta: Transfer back into the pot. Give the dressing a good shake then pour over about half. Toss well, then leave the pasta to soak up the dressing as it cools (~30 minutes), stirring occasionally.
- Finish Salad: Add all remaining salad ingredients to the pasta and toss. Add remaining dressing now (or reserve for personalizing the salad later). If there are any other ingredients that "everyone agrees on" add them in. Store salad in an airtight container until ready for packing or eating.
- Personalize Salads for On-The-Go Lunches: Place pasta salad into lunch containers of choice. Add additional ingredients to preference, making sure to separate any ingredients that would lose crunch. (Perfect for a Voyager Leakproof Lunch Box or PlanetGoods Salad Bowl Kit!)
- Store Leftovers: Salad lasts for 3-5 days in the fridge. (We stored ours in the large square Glass Food Storage container.)
Notes
- CYOA Ingredient note: Aiming for 2-3 cups total, you can prep your ingredients beforehand for easy packing.