This simple tomato and turkey pasta salad is just the thing to make for a quick and tasty lunch.
Pasta is always a winner for easy meals, and with this recipe, you can create a healthy lunch in 5 minutes with real food!
Pasta Salad for Lunch
Got some deli turkey, leftover cooked pasta from dinner, and a few veggie odds and ends? Then you’ve got everything you need to make this pasta salad for lunch!
It’s such a yummy way to repurpose ingredients from your fridge into a kid-favorite meal, and you can customize the salad with whatever protein, veggies, and dressings you happen to have on hand.
Swap the turkey for ham or grilled chicken. Don’t have carrots? Add chopped bell pepper, broccoli, or shredded cheese- you get the idea.
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What is in this Pasta Salad with Turkey and Tomatoes
Take a look at what’s inside this pasta salad lunchbox:
- Cooked pasta: any kind works!
- Deli turkey: finely chopped.
- Shredded carrots: adds a nice crunch.
- Tomatoes: grape, cherry, or diced Roma.
- Black olives: optional but tastes great in this recipe.
- Salad dressing: your favorite store-bought dressing or homemade vinaigrette.
- Snacks: this lunch is packed with blueberries and a hard-boiled egg.
Here’s a tip on how to reheat cold pasta so it doesn’t dry out: add the pasta to a microwave-safe dish with a couple of tablespoons of water. Cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for 30-seconds to 1 minute.
The pasta doesn’t need to be super hot, but you want to be able to easily toss it together with the rest of the ingredients, and warming it up beforehand can help.
How to Pack Pasta Salad with Turkey and Tomatoes for Lunch
Pasta salad is one of those recipes you can prep ahead and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. To pack it for lunch, simply add a serving to a chilled thermos or lunch container and place it in a lunch bag.
If you’re using a plastic container, make sure to add an ice pack to keep everything cool.
Additional snacks like fruit, hard-boiled eggs, or veggies should be packed separately. This is where having a compartmentalized snack box comes in handy since you can pack multiple ingredients like fruit, crackers, and dip under one lid, and everything stays fresh.
Turkey Pasta Salad with Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked pasta
- 2 ounces deli turkey, rolled and sliced
- ¼ cup matchstick or shredded carrots
- ¼ cup grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 tablespoon black olives, sliced
- 1 tablespoon dressing of choice
- ½ cup berries or fruit, optional
- 1 hard-boiled egg, optional
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the pasta, turkey, veggies, olives, and dressing. Toss to coat the ingredients with the dressing.
- Add the pasta salad to a chilled thermos or lunch container and pack it into a lunch bag. If using a regular plastic container, be sure to include an ice pack.
- Any additional snacks should be packed into a separate container or compartment.
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