Pasta Salad Jar
A pasta salad jar is the ultimate prep-ahead lunch: hearty enough to satisfy, but served cold so there's no microwave line to wait in. The dressing goes in first, then the pasta and sturdy mix-ins, and the delicate greens on top. When lunchtime hits, shake it up or dump it into a bowl. Cook the pasta the night before, rinse it under cold water, and you're ready to assemble in under 10 minutes flat.
Lunch · Back-to-School · No-Cook • 15 min
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons Italian dressing (store-bought or homemade — see headnote)
- 1 cup cooked rotini or fusilli pasta, cooled and rinsed
- ⅓ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ⅓ cup English cucumber, quartered and sliced
- ¼ cup diced bell pepper (red, yellow, or orange)
- 2 tablespoons sliced black olives
- ¼ cup diced salami or pepperoni (about 2 ounces)
- ¼ cup fresh mozzarella pearls (ciliegine), halved
- ½ cup baby spinach or arugula
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 wide-mouth quart mason jar with lid
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Steps
- Pour the Italian dressing into the bottom of the mason jar. Add a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper to the dressing.
- Layer the ingredients in this order: pasta, tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, olives, salami, mozzarella pearls, and finally the spinach or arugula on top. Don't pack anything down — keep it loose so air circulates and nothing gets squashed.
- Sprinkle the Parmesan on top of the greens. Screw the lid on tightly and refrigerate until you're ready to go.
- To serve: shake the jar vigorously for about 10 seconds to distribute the dressing, then eat straight from the jar with a fork or dump into a bowl. Toss once more in the bowl to make sure everything is coated.
Tips & Variations
Make Ahead
Cook the pasta up to 3 days ahead, toss with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking, and refrigerate. Assemble the jars the night before — they keep well for 2 days in the fridge. For the week, prep all the vegetables and keep them in separate containers, then assemble each jar fresh the night before in 5 minutes flat.
Storage
Assembled jars keep in the fridge for up to 2 days; the pasta absorbs dressing over time which actually makes it more flavorful. Beyond 2 days the spinach will start to wilt. Don't freeze — the fresh vegetables and dressing won't survive the thaw.
Substitutions
Make it vegetarian by omitting the salami and adding a handful of chickpeas or extra mozzarella. Swap Italian dressing for pesto thinned with a little olive oil. Use any short pasta shape — penne, farfalle, or gemelli all work. For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free pasta (cook it slightly firmer than the package says so it doesn't get mushy in the jar).
Reviews
Reviews coming soon! In the meantime, let us know what you think of this recipe.
