Jump to Recipe
This high protein pasta salad has 41 g of protein per serving and takes 40 minutes, including a 15-minute chill. The protein comes from chickpea pasta, fresh mozzarella, Genoa salami, canned chickpeas and Parmesan, not powder, so it tastes like the real thing.
One serving is about 495 g, roughly 2 1/2 cups, so it eats like dinner and not a side dish. It’s also about 820 calories, which is the cost of the salami and cheese. I kept the dressing salt at 1/4 tsp because those two do most of the seasoning.
Watch the pasta. Chickpea pasta turns gummy and splits if it cooks 2 minutes past al dente, so pull it at about 7 minutes and rinse it cold.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- 41 g protein per serving from real food, no powder
- One 495 g serving is big enough for dinner
- Chopping and dressing happen while the water heats
- Keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge for lunches
Ingredient Notes
- chickpea rotini: I use Banza-style pasta, which has about 11 g protein per 56 g dry. Regular wheat rotini works, but the batch loses about 23 g protein, roughly 6 g per serving, leaving 35 g per serving.
- Genoa salami: Buy it sliced from the deli counter or pre-sliced in a pack. Pepperoni or soppressata can stand in at the same weight.
- fresh mozzarella pearls: Drain them and pat them dry so the dressing doesn’t thin out. A 225 g ball of fresh mozzarella, cut into 1 cm cubes, works the same way.
- canned chickpeas: Rinse them well to wash off the canning liquid. White beans such as cannellini work if that’s what’s in the pantry, with slightly less protein.
- pepperoncini brine: One tablespoon adds tang and a little salt. Use extra red wine vinegar instead if you skip the pepperoncini.
High Protein Pasta Salad: Salami, Mozzarella, 39 g Per Bowl
Ingredients
Method
- Fill a 6-quart / 5.7 L pot with 4 L / 4 quarts of water, add 1 tbsp kosher salt and bring to a boil over high heat, about 7 minutes. Meanwhile, add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon, grated garlic, oregano, pepperoncini brine, 1/4 tsp salt and pepper to a 16-oz / 473 ml jar, seal and shake until it looks creamy.
- While the water heats, halve the tomatoes, slice the cucumber and red onion, slice the pepperoncini, cut the salami into 1 cm strips, and pat the chickpeas and mozzarella pearls dry with a clean towel.
- Add the pasta to the boiling water, stir right away and cook for about 7 minutes, 1 minute short of the package time, until al dente with a slight bite. Drain and rinse under cold water for 30 seconds until no steam rises, then shake well.
- Combine the pasta, salami, mozzarella, chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber, onion and pepperoncini in a 5-quart / 4.7 L mixing bowl. Shake the dressing again, pour it over, add the Parmesan and half the basil, and toss gently until every piece is coated. Cover and chill for 15 minutes.
- Taste, add a pinch of salt only if needed, and divide among 4 bowls, about 495 g each. Top with the remaining basil and black pepper.
Notes
- Protein per serving is about 41 g, from pasta, mozzarella, salami, chickpeas and Parmesan.
- Use 340 g dry chickpea pasta, which has about 11 g protein per 56 g.
- Chill at least 15 minutes so the dressing settles into the pasta.
- Pat chickpeas and mozzarella dry before tossing so the dressing stays glossy.
Tips for Success
- Pull the pasta 1 minute before the package time and rinse it cold for 30 seconds, since chickpea pasta turns gummy fast.
- Pat the drained chickpeas and mozzarella pearls dry with a clean towel so the dressing clings instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
- Cut the salami into 1 cm strips instead of leaving slices whole, so every forkful gets some meat and fat.
- Taste after the 15-minute chill before adding any salt, because the salami, Parmesan and pepperoncini brine season the whole bowl.
- Hold back half the tomatoes and basil if you’re packing lunches, and add them the morning you eat so nothing goes watery.
Variations
- Swap the salami for 250 g diced grilled chicken breast to cut the fat and raise the protein per serving.
- Use pepperoni in place of salami and banana peppers in place of pepperoncini for a pizza-parlor version with the same dressing.
- Add 180 g drained marinated artichoke hearts and 60 g sliced black olives for a deli-counter antipasto version.
Storage and Reheating
High protein pasta salad with salami and mozzarella keeps 3 to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge at 40 F / 4 C or below. It tastes best within 24 hours of mixing. After that the pasta soaks up the dressing, so stir in 1 tbsp olive oil and a splash of red wine vinegar before serving leftovers.
This salad is a cold dish and doesn’t reheat. Warm pasta turns the mozzarella stringy and oily, and the cucumber and tomatoes go limp. Freezing is out too, since the cheese turns grainy after thawing.
For Sunday prep, cook and rinse the pasta, chop the salami and vegetables, and shake the dressing. Store each in its own container for up to 3 days, then combine, toss and chill 15 minutes the day you eat.
Serving Suggestions
Spoon about 495 g (2 1/2 cups) into a wide bowl and finish with torn basil and cracked black pepper. Let it sit out of the fridge for 10 minutes first so the olive oil loosens and the mozzarella isn’t stiff.
For a cookout, pack it in a lidded container with an ice pack and serve it next to grilled corn or grilled zucchini. A toasted baguette is fine on the side, though the salad doesn’t need it.
For lunch, portion one serving into a 750 ml container and add the extra basil that morning.
FAQ
Why is my chickpea pasta salad mushy or gummy?
Chickpea pasta turns mushy when it cooks even 2 minutes past al dente or when it skips the cold rinse. Pull it 1 minute before the package time, about 7 minutes, and rinse under cold water for 30 seconds. Leftovers soften further after day 2 because the pasta keeps absorbing dressing.
Can I use regular pasta instead of chickpea pasta in this salad?
Yes, regular rotini works, but protein drops from 41 g to about 35 g per serving because the batch loses roughly 23 g. Cook it to al dente, about 9 to 10 minutes, then rinse the same way. The salami, mozzarella and chickpeas still carry most of the flavor.
Can I freeze high protein pasta salad with mozzarella?
Don’t freeze it. Fresh mozzarella turns grainy after thawing, and the cucumber and tomatoes release water that leaves the pasta soggy. Stored airtight in the fridge at 40 F / 4 C or below, the finished salad keeps 3 to 4 days. Add a splash of vinegar before serving leftovers.
What goes with salami and mozzarella pasta salad at a cookout?
Grilled corn on the cob or grilled zucchini pairs well, since the salad is already a full 495 g meal and needs nothing heavy beside it. Sliced watermelon or a plain green salad with lemon juice keeps the table light. Toasted baguette slices work too.
Is this high protein pasta salad gluten free?
Yes, if you use chickpea pasta and check labels. Banza-style pasta has no wheat, and the dressing, mozzarella, chickpeas and Parmesan don’t contain gluten ingredients. Some salami and pepperoncini brands use fillers or share equipment, so read the labels if you need it strictly gluten free.
What is the difference between this and a classic Italian-American pasta salad?
A classic Italian-American pasta salad uses regular rotini, a small handful of salami and bottled Italian dressing, and it’s usually served as a side. This version uses chickpea pasta, 115 g of salami, 225 g of mozzarella and a can of chickpeas, so one 495 g serving works as dinner with 41 g of protein.
