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High-Protein Italian Pasta Salad

High protein Italian pasta salad with chickpea/lentil pasta, grilled chicken, mozzarella, and chickpeas tossed in Italian dressing for a hearty, meal-prep friendly bowl. Rinse the pasta cold to keep it firm, then chill for at least 1 hour so every bite is evenly coated.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Protein pasta
  • 1 lb protein pasta (chickpea or lentil pasta)
Chicken
  • 2 cup grilled chicken breast, diced
Cheese
  • 8 oz mozzarella cheese, cubed
  • 0.25 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Legumes
  • 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Vegetables
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup cucumber, diced
Dressing and seasonings
  • 0.5 cup Italian dressing
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 0.25 salt and pepper to taste

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Cook protein pasta according to package directions, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking and keep the pasta from getting soft.
Assemble the salad
  1. Combine the pasta, grilled chicken breast, mozzarella, chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, and cucumber in a large bowl.
  2. Add Italian dressing, Parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning, then toss until everything is well coated.
  3. Season with salt and pepper to taste and toss again so the seasoning is evenly distributed throughout the salad.
Chill and serve
  1. Refrigerate the salad for at least 1 hour before serving to let the flavors meld.
  2. Adjust the dressing if needed and serve chilled.

Notes

For best texture, rinse the pasta thoroughly with cold water right after draining so it stays firm in the salad. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days; freezing is not recommended because the vegetables and cheese can change texture. To make it dairy-light, use a reduced-fat mozzarella and keep the Parmesan at half the amount for a similar protein boost with less saturated fat.