10 High-Protein Pasta Salad Recipes

Quick to make. Check. Tastes delicious for several days. Check. Filled with protein, veggies, and fiber. Check.

While it may not be the first thing you think of when you think of healthy meal prep ideas, high-protein pasta salad is one of the best quick lunch ideas you can make.

It’s relatively cheap, easy to make in bulk, and lasts really well in the fridge so it has all the trimmings of a superior meal prep idea.

The problem? It can be kind of hard to find protein pasta salad recipes.

That’s exactly why this round-up exists. My 10 favorite macro-friendly pasta salad recipes, all in one place.

You can thank me later.

Looking for more easy lunches? These 29 High-Protein Cold Lunches for Work have at least 30 grams of protein each and are perfect for on-the-go.

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Contents

  1. Easy Low-Calorie, High-Protein Tuna Pasta Salad
  2. Grilled Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
  3. Greek Chicken and Orzo Pasta Salad
  4. Protein-Packed Thai Pasta Salad
  5. Healthy Southwest Pasta Salad with Chipotle-Lime Greek Yogurt Dressing
  6. Fresh & Healthy Cilantro Lime Pasta Salad
  7. Healthy Greek Pasta Salad
  8. High-Protein Mediterranean Pasta Salad
  9. Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad
  10. Herby Chickpea and Feta Pasta Salad


10 High-Protein Pasta Salad Recipes

1. Easy Low-Calorie, High-Protein Tuna Pasta Salad

When it comes to high-protein pasta salad recipes, Tuna Pasta Salad reigns supreme. It’s packed with protein (and fiber!), is easy to make, and is budget-friendly too! Between the tuna, peas, and whole wheat pasta, this recipe packs in over 50 grams of protein per serving. Plus, it stores well in the fridge, making it the perfect lunch meal prep option.

Estimated Nutrition Facts: 498 calories | 51g protein | 53g carbs | 9g fat


2. Grilled Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

No boring chicken and broccoli meal prep here! This delicious Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad is packed with delicious high protein ingredients like grilled chicken breasts and crumbled bacon and is tossed in an incredible greek yogurt ranch. It’s a simple recipe that combines all the good stuff into a protein pasta salad that you will not be able to get enough of.

Estimated Nutrition Facts: 484 calories | 27g protein | 42g carbs | 24g fat


3. Greek Chicken and Orzo Pasta Salad

If you feel like traditional pasta salads can be a little bit boring, then you need to try this High-Protein Mediterranean Pasta Salad. It combines the best of Mediterranean flavors with crunchy cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, spicy pepperoncini peppers, briney kalamata olives, and delicious crumbled feta. Not to mention, this easy high-protein pasta salad recipe comes together in just 35 minutes and has 40 grams of protein per serving.

Estimated Nutrition Facts: 622 calories | 41g protein | 58g carbohydrates | 26g fat

Free 7-day high-protein meal plan: the cover, this week's menu and the shopping list

Get Your FREE 7-Day High-Protein Meal Plan

Struggling to eat enough protein? I'll send you a full week of meals with the shopping list.

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4. Protein-Packed Thai Pasta Salad

This creamy pasta salad puts an Asian spin on an American classic. Chickpea pasta, purple cabbage, and shredded carrots come together in a protein-packed Thai Pasta Salad that’s tossed in an irresistible peanut dressing.

By simply making use of chickpea pasta instead of normal pasta, you get a high-protein recipe that’s vegan and super low in saturated fat!

Want to add even more protein? Toss in some shelled edamame! A half cup has 8 grams of plant-based protein and 4 grams of fiber.

Estimated Nutrition Facts: 350 calories | 22g protein | 52g carbs | 10g fat

On a mission to up your protein game? Check out 7 High-Protein Meals with 50 Grams of Protein.


5. Healthy Southwest Pasta Salad with Chipotle-Lime Greek Yogurt Dressing

Looking for a high-protein, low-calorie meal prep options? High-protein pasta salad recipes make for easy grab-and-go lunches that don’t need to be heated up.

That’s why we love this Southwest Pasta Salad! It has about 250 calories with almost 20 grams of protein per serving, thanks to the red lentil pasta and black beans.

But the real star of the show is the homemade dressing! It combines creamy greek yogurt with fresh herbs, lime juice, and warming spices for a sweet and tangy pasta salad that’s great any time of year.

Estimated Nutrition Facts: 252 calories | 19g protein | 40g carbs | 2g fat


6. Fresh & Healthy Cilantro Lime Pasta Salad

When it comes to high-protein pasta salad recipes, this Cilantro Lime Pasta Salad checks all the boxes. It’s full of fresh, vibrant colors and flavors like chickpeas, cucumber, and sweet corn. Everything gets tossed in a creamy cilantro lime dressing that’s made with greek yogurt for an extra boost of protein.

Estimated Nutrition Facts: 445 calories | 22g protein | 81g carbs | 8g fat


7. Kale Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad Recipe

This Kale Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad combines hearty kale, juicy chicken, crispy chickpeas, and nutty parmesan, all coated in a homemade greek yogurt caesar dressing for a perfect high-protein meal prep or summer BBQ pasta salad recipe. It’s easy to make and has over 30 grams of protein per serving!

Estimated Nutrition Facts: 419 calories | 31g protein | 53g carbs | 9g fat


8. High-Protein Mediterranean Pasta Salad

If you love Mediterranean Pasta Salad but want a high-protein version without any meat, this is the one for you. High-protein pasta, chickpeas, and feta bring 42 grams of protein per serving. And when you add kalamata olives, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and fresh oregano, all tossed in a garlicky red wine vinaigrette, and you’ve got an easy meal prep lunch that takes 25 minutes, start to finish.

Estimated Nutrition Facts: 503 calories | 42g protein | 58g carbs | 23g fat


9. Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad

If you love a chicken pesto pasta for dinner, here’s the pasta salad version for you. This High-Protein Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad is one of the best we’ve tried. The dressing combines pesto, parm, greek yogurt, and lemon for a rich but bright flavor that’s perfectly creamy. It gets tossed all over rotisserie chicken, chickpeas, artichoke hearts, mini mozzarella, and baby arugula. Use a protein pasta if you want 31 grams of protein per serving with barely any extra effort.

Estimated Nutrition Facts: 519 calories | 31g protein | 52g carbs | 20g fat

In a calorie deficit? Try my 9 High-Protein Low-Calorie Meal Prep Ideas Under 500 Calories.


10. Herby Chickpea and Feta Pasta Salad

This is the super viral “Jennifer Aniston” salad, but made with pasta. This Herby Chickpea and Feta Pasta Salad combines chickpeas, feta, roasted pistachios, pickled red onions, and a ton of fresh herbs (parsley, mint, and dill) in a bright lemon vinaigrette. It’s vegetarian, comes together in just 20 minutes, and has 21 grams of protein per serving. And it tastes great with some added grilled chicken if you want a bit more protein.

Estimated Nutrition Facts: 595 calories | 21g protein | 77g carbs | 23g fat


That concludes our roundup of 10 high-protein pasta salad recipes.

From creamy tuna and pea, to high-protein Mediterranean, and chicken caesar, all your bases are covered.

Super flavorful, easy to prep, and filled with veggies, healthy fats, and that good good protein.

So if you’re looking for more easy meal prep ideas, these high-protein pasta salads are for you.

I’m so curious to hear which one you try first. Let me know your favorites in the comments below.

Bon appétit,


A small note to my readers – Over here at VLHhealth, we occasionally include affiliate links in our posts. This means that if you purchase using our links, we will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Free 7-day high-protein meal plan: the cover, this week's menu and the shopping list

Get Your FREE 7-Day High-Protein Meal Plan

Struggling to eat enough protein? I'll send you a full week of meals with the shopping list.

You'll also get my new meal plan every Saturday. Unsubscribe anytime.


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