Sometimes the best lunches happen when I’m just trying to use up what’s already in the fridge. 😂 I had leftover chickpea rotini, mozzarella pearls, a little salami, and fresh greens—and somehow it all turned into a really tasty Italian-inspired pasta salad!
It’s cool, herby, easy to portion for work, and a nice change from the usual sandwich. I even spooned mine into the empty mozzarella containers for grab-and-go lunches. Less cleanup? Yes, please. ♡
❧ Katie’s Caprese-Inspired Chickpea Rotini Salad ❧
Prep: About 15 minutes if your pasta is already cooked | Servings: Depends on your leftover pasta and how generously you portion it
This is a use-what-you-have recipe, so the amounts below are suggested starting points rather than exact measurements from my batch.
❧ Ingredients ❧
- About 2 cups cooked and cooled chickpea rotini pasta
- About 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
- About ½ cup mozzarella pearls, halved
- About ⅓–½ cup sliced salami, chopped
- A handful of fresh basil, torn or chopped
- 1–2 tablespoons olive oil, to taste
- Italian seasoning, to taste
- Garlic powder, to taste
- Onion powder, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
❧ Instructions ❧
- If needed, cook the chickpea rotini according to the package directions. Drain and cool completely.
- Chop the spinach, salami, and basil. Slice the mozzarella pearls in half.
- Add the cooled rotini, spinach, salami, mozzarella, and basil to a bowl.
- Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.
- Toss gently until everything is coated. Taste and adjust the seasoning or olive oil as you like.
- Divide into covered lunch containers and refrigerate until ready to eat.
❧ A Little Kitchen Note ♡ ❧
I used leftover chickpea rotini because that’s what I had, and I loved the extra texture it gave the salad. This is also a great way to use those last few mozzarella pearls and bits of salami hiding in the fridge.
Keep the salad chilled and eat within 3–4 days of cooking the pasta; if the pasta is already a few days old, enjoy it sooner. And if you’re reusing food containers like I did, make sure they’re clean and suitable for cold food.
❧ Printable Recipe Card ❧
Want to save this one for your recipe box? Click the card below to open the printable PDF. ♡
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