Table of Contents
This high-protein pasta salad is recent, filling, and full of rooster, chickpeas, arugula and sun-dried tomatoes — excellent for straightforward lunches or meal prep.
Leap to: ℹ️ Overview | 🛒 Elements | 📷 How To Make | 📹 Watch The Video | 👩🍳 Recipe Suggestions | 🥗 Serving Solutions | 📝Full Recipe Card | 🍽 Extra Excessive-Protein Salad Recipes
At A Look
- ⏱ Prepared In: 35 minutes
- 🍽 Serves: 6
- 🌱 Food regimen: Excessive-protein, high-fiber, gluten-free (if utilizing GF pasta)
- 💪 Diet Highlights: Excessive in protein and fiber, balanced and satisfying
- 🥕 Principal Elements: Hen, chickpea or lentil pasta, chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan, recent tomatoes, arugula (rocket)
- 🔥 Taste Profile: Savory, tangy, barely creamy, recent herbs
- 🧊 Meal-Prep Pleasant: Retains 4 days within the fridge
- Finest Served With: Crusty bread, wraps, or as a standalone meal
That is a kind of pasta salads that may maintain you full for hours. You’ve received tender rooster, protein-rich pasta, and chickpeas all working collectively, plus these punchy little hits of sun-dried tomatoes and cherry tomatoes that make every thing style a bit extra attention-grabbing. The dressing is lemony, barely creamy (with out being heavy), and filled with savory depth because of the Parmesan — which, truthfully, does a variety of the heavy lifting right here.
It’s the sort of salad that holds up fantastically within the fridge, making it perfect for meal prep, however it’s additionally recent sufficient to serve for an off-the-cuff lunch or dinner.
Macros per (beneficiant, filling serving): 590 energy, 43 grams of protein and 16 grams fiber. As this salad may be very filling, you may serve smaller parts and nonetheless get numerous protein and fiber.
👩🍳 You may additionally like these pasta salad recipes:
⭐️ Hen Pasta Salad
🌿 Mediterranean Pasta Salad
🐟 Tuna And Pasta Salad
🌽 Elote Pasta Salad
🥓 Hen Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
👉 Extra Pasta Salad Concepts
What You’ll Want
Here’s what you’ll want for this high-protein pasta recipe. Discover the complete measurements within the recipe card under.
Pasta & Protein
- Excessive-protein pasta (chickpea or lentil): boosts each protein and fibre
- Hen breast: lean protein that makes this correctly filling
- Chickpeas: further protein + fiber, plus a pleasant mushy chunk
- Olive oil, salt, pepper for cooking rooster
Veg & Recent Add-Ins
- Solar-dried tomatoes: intense, tangy taste (just a little goes a great distance — and price it)
- Cherry tomatoes: juicy freshness to steadiness the richness
- Crimson onion: sharpness and crunch
- Arugula (rocket): peppery chunk
- Basil: recent, barely candy end
Parmesan Lemon Dressing
- Parmesan: provides salty, nutty, umami depth
- Olive oil: richness and physique
- Dijon mustard: tang + helps emulsify
- Lemon juice: brightness (that is key — don’t skip)
- Crimson wine vinegar: further acidity for steadiness
- Garlic: delicate punch
- Sugar: simply sufficient to spherical it out
How To Make Excessive Protein Pasta Salad
Discover the complete recipe and dietary info under. Listed here are some useful step-by-step pictures for tips on how to make this protein-packed rooster salad.
- Prepare dinner pasta in well-salted water till al dente, drain, flippantly rinse (if utilizing legume pasta), and funky
- Grill or pan-cook seasoned rooster till performed, relaxation, then cube
- Whisk collectively dressing elements till thick and creamy
- In a big bowl, mix pasta, rooster, chickpeas, tomatoes, onion, and sun-dried tomatoes
- Toss with dressing till properly coated
- Fold in arugula and basil simply earlier than serving
- Style and modify with lemon, salt, or pepper
Watch The Video
Recipe Suggestions
- Salt your pasta water correctly: It ought to style like the ocean — this makes an enormous distinction
- Don’t overcook the pasta: Excessive-protein pasta can go mushy shortly
- Use finely grated Parmesan: It melts into the dressing and makes it creamy with out mayo
- Add sun-dried tomato oil: Only a tablespoon ties the entire salad collectively fantastically
- Add greens final: Retains them recent and never wilted
- Variations: Swap rooster for grilled tofu or tuna. Add cucumber or capsicum for further crunch. Use feta as an alternative of Parmesan for a special vibe
- Storage: Retains properly within the fridge for as much as 4 days. Retailer in an hermetic container
- Make-Forward Tip: Reserve just a little dressing and stir it by means of earlier than serving to freshen it up
Serving Solutions
I normally serve this straight from the fridge or barely at room temp — that’s when the flavors actually come by means of. It’s nice by itself, however in case you’re feeding a crowd, add some heat crusty bread or wrap it up in a flatbread for a simple lunch. It additionally works rather well as a part of a much bigger unfold with grilled veggies or a easy inexperienced salad.
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This excessive protein pasta salad is recent, filling, and full of rooster, chickpeas, arugula and sun-dried tomatoes — excellent for straightforward lunches or meal prep. Discover step-by-step pictures and extra recipe ideas above.
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Prepare dinner the Pasta. Carry salted water to a boil. Prepare dinner pasta till al dente. Drain and flippantly rinse if utilizing legume pasta. Toss with just a little olive oil and funky.
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Prepare dinner the Hen. Slice rooster horizontally for even thickness. Season with salt and pepper. Prepare dinner in a pan or grill over medium-high warmth for five–6 minutes per facet till cooked by means of (inside temp 165°F / 75°C). Relaxation, then cube.
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Make the Dressing. Whisk collectively Parmesan, olive oil, Dijon, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, sugar, and pepper. Add water to loosen barely. Style and modify seasoning.
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Assemble. Mix pasta, rooster, chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, and onion. Add dressing and toss properly.
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End. Fold in arugula and basil simply earlier than serving. Style and modify.
- Salt your pasta water correctly: It ought to style like the ocean — this makes an enormous distinction
- Don’t overcook the pasta: Excessive-protein pasta can go mushy shortly
- Use finely grated Parmesan: It melts into the dressing and makes it creamy with out mayo
- Add sun-dried tomato oil: Only a tablespoon ties the entire salad collectively fantastically
- Add greens final: Retains them recent and never wilted
- Variations: Swap rooster for grilled tofu or tuna. Add cucumber or capsicum for further crunch. Use feta as an alternative of Parmesan for a special vibe
- Storage: Retains properly within the fridge for as much as 4 days. Retailer in an hermetic container
- Make-Forward Tip: Reserve just a little dressing and stir it by means of earlier than serving to freshen it up
- Can I take advantage of common pasta? Sure, however you’ll lose some protein — nonetheless scrumptious although
- Why rinse chickpea pasta? It removes extra starch and retains it from going sticky
- Can I make it dairy-free? Skip Parmesan or use a dairy-free various
- Why does it style higher later? The flavors settle and develop after a couple of hours within the fridge
- Too dry the following day? Simply add a splash of olive oil or lemon juice to convey it again
Energy: 592kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 43g | Fats: 22g | Saturated Fats: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 3g | Monounsaturated Fats: 9g | Trans Fats: 0.01g | Ldl cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 810mg | Potassium: 1263mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 758IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 231mg | Iron: 10mg