We love pasta salads because they are so adaptable and can be a really healthy and nutritious lunch. The best thing about them, is that they can be made in advance like these Meal Prep Pasta Salad Jars.
Perfect for stashing in the fridge for a grab-and-go lunch option. If you are bored of having the same lunches, then you need to give these a try. This pasta salad meal prep post gives you all the different variations and extra tips for your weekly meal prep.
Pasta salad jars are not only great to look at, but also practical. They allow for easy portion control (it's so easy to overeat pasta) and can be customised to depending on your dietary needs or just what needs using up in your fridge. Less than 20 minutes to make and they store for 5 days.
The layering technique in these meal prep pasta salads helps keep all the ingredients fresh and prevents sogginess. Plus, they are easy to store in the fridge and grab on the go. Why does everything just taste better from a jar?
Looking for some other meal prep recipes? Why not try our quick Tuna Sushi Bowl, easy Chicken Protein Bowl or versatile Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs?
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Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Pasta - You can use any type of pasta, but shapes like farfalle, penne, and fusilli are best because they hold the dressing well.
- Chickpeas - We used cooked, canned chickpeas as our protein for these pasta salad jars, but any cooked bean will work. You could swap it for meat too.
- Dressing - We used a homemade honey and mustard dressing, but your favourite dressing can easily be swapped in, or add a different dressing to each mason jar pasta salad.
- Tomatoes - We used a mixture of cherry tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes for extra flavour.
- Olives - These add loads of flavour, and saltiness, so you don't need to add extra salt.
- Greens - We used rocket lettuce (arugula), but you could use watercress, spinach or even kale.
- Cheese - Some torn mozzarella adds a lovely creaminess.
- Cucumber - An easy way to bulk it out.
Meal Prep Pasta Salad Variations
Vegetables - The great thing about these pasta salad jars is that anything goes. Any kind of vegetable that you would add to a salad works here. We also like adding peppers, roasted pepper, spinach, spring onions (scallions), pickled red onions and artichoke.
Cheese - Some of our other favourite cheeses to use include feta, cheddar, and Stilton.
Protein - We used chickpeas for the protein, but we also did a version that had leftovers of our Slow Cooker Chicken Breasts. You could also add cooked halloumi, tuna, cooked prawns, salmon or chopped ham or turkey.
Dressing - You can use any dressing you like here. We prefer something lighter, but if you want a heavier creamy dressing, then go ahead. Why not try our Pesto Salad Dressing, Tahini Dressing or our Creamy Cottage Cheese Dip, which makes a great addition to the base of these pasta salad meal prep jars.
Mexican - You can make a Mexican version of these mason jar pasta salads by swapping the chickpeas for black beans and adding some corn and chopped jalapeños. Serve it with a coriander (cilantro) and lime dressing.
How To Make Meal Prep Pasta Salad Jars - Step by Step
Prep: Cook your pasta according to the packet instructions. While it is cooking, prep the other ingredients. Once the pasta is cooked, drain and rinse under cold water.
- Step 1: Divide the dressing between 4 jars. Add a quarter of the cooked pasta to each jar.
- Step 2: Add layers of chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, olives and lettuce.
- Step 3: Add the sun-dried tomatoes and mozzarella. Screw on a lid and store.
- Step 4: To serve, pour out onto a plate and enjoy.
Serving Suggestions
When ready to eat, shake the jar to distribute the dressing evenly, or pour the contents into a bowl and mix well.
You could even add some our our Air Fryer Croutons on top for some extra crunch.
Extra Tips
- When it comes to layering, start with the dressing at the bottom of the jar. This prevents the other ingredients from getting soggy.
- Finish with the greens last, so they are furthest away from the dressing.
- Top with some nuts and seeds for added crunch.
- Ensure all ingredients are cooled before assembling the jars to prevent condensation and maintain the desired texture and freshness of the salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
Seal the jars tightly with lids and store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Wide-mouth jars are easier to fill and eat from. They also make it easier to layer ingredients neatly. We recommend these Mason Jars.
It’s not recommended to freeze pasta salad jars as the texture of the vegetables and pasta may change upon thawing.
More Pasta Salad Recipes
If you’ve tried these Pasta Salad Jars, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Meal Prep Pasta Salad Jars
Ingredients
- 140 g (5 oz) Farfalle pasta
- 4 portion Honey Mustard salad dressing
- 60 g (0.33 cups) Chickpeas - canned; drained weight
- 16 Cherry tomatoes - quartered
- 20 Olives - chopped
- 100 g (4 cups) Rocket (arugula)
- 125 g (4.5 oz) Mozzarella - drained weight
- 0.5 Cucumber - chopped
- 8 Sun-dried tomatoes - chopped
Instructions
- Cook 140 g Farfalle pasta according to the packet instructions. While it is cooking, prep the other ingredients. Once the pasta is cooked, drain and rinse under cold water.
- Divide 4 portion Honey Mustard salad dressing between 4 jars. Add a quarter of the cooked pasta to each jar.
- Add layers of 60 g Chickpeas, 16 Cherry tomatoes, 0.5 Cucumber, 20 Olives and 100 g Rocket (arugula).
- Add 8 Sun-dried tomatoes and 125 g Mozzarella to the jars. Screw on a lid and store...
- ...or pour out onto a plate and enjoy.
Recipe Tips
- When it comes to layering, start with the dressing at the bottom of the jar. This prevents the other ingredients from getting soggy.
- Finish with the greens last, so they are furthest away from the dressing.
- Top with some nuts and seeds for added crunch.
- Ensure all ingredients are cooled before assembling the jars to prevent condensation and maintain the desired texture and freshness of the salad.
Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
JoAnn Nash says
What size jar?
Dannii Martin says
The jars we use are mentioned in the FAQ section of the blog post - they are these -> mason jars (affiliate)