Pasta Salads Under 300 Calories

Updated July 21, 2008
Credit: Randy Mayor; Melanie J. Clarke

Warm summer weather calls for lighter, fresh-tasting fare. From picnics and potlucks to dinners for two and lunch on the go, pasta salad is a perennial summertime favorite.

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Orzo with Sesame and Peas

Credit: Annabelle Breakey; Styling: Karen Shinto

Orzo with Sesame and Peas Recipe

Paul Pastina was looking for something colorful and light to serve with chicken and fish when he came up with this quick dish infused with Asian flavors.

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Cavatappi with Bacon and Summer Vegetables

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Melanie Clark

Cavatappi with Bacon and Summer Vegetables Recipe

A light, flavorful pasta toss, accented with crumbled bacon, is a quick and easy dinner solution for any night of the week. Use whatever veggies you have on hand to add to the colorful dish. Serve with a mixed greens salad.

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Black Pepper Pasta Salad with Prosciutto, Asparagus, and Romano

Credit: Romulo Yanes; Food Styling: Simon Andrews; Prop Styling: Helen Crowther

Black Pepper Pasta Salad with Prosciutto, Asparagus, and Romano Recipe

This mayonnaise-based pasta salad veers from the traditional with salty Italian ham, nutty asparagus, and a generous grinding of pepper.

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Asian Pasta Salad

Credit: Randy Mayor

Asian Pasta Salad Tout

Easy and tasty, this salad is a lighter, fresher version of the classic dry noodle salad. Chinese noodles are low in fat and can be found in the Asian section of your grocery store. Sunflower seeds add a pleasing nutty flavor to the pasta salad and are an excellent source of vitamin E.

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Orzo Salad

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Melanie J. Clarke

Orzo Salad Recipe

Orzo is pasta made from hard wheat semolina that is rice-shaped, but slightly larger. It's cooked the same way that other pastas are cooked—in a large pot of boiling water for 7 to 10 minutes. Similar to most other pasta shapes, it's delicious hot or cold.

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Grilled Green Onions with Orzo and Sweet Peas

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen

Grilled Green Onions with Orzo and Sweet Peas Recipe

This orzo salad calls for only a few ingredients and clocks in at under 200 calories per serving.

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Peppery Chicken Pasta Salad

Credit: Karry Hosford

Peppery Chicken Pasta Salad Recipe

This salad is the definition of quick and simple. Cooking the pasta and the veggies together saves time. Toss with chicken and dressing, and serve warm or refrigerate and save for the next day. The addition of pesto gives a garlicky kick to the fresh veggies and chicken.

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Tortellini Pepperoncini Salad

Credit: Karry Hosford

Tortellini Pepperoncini Salad Recipe

An easy weeknight dinner, or the perfect salad to bring to your next picnic or potluck, this salad is sure to be a hit with everyone. With such bright and fresh flavors, no one will ever guess that it's only 208 calories per serving.

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Chicken-Pasta Salad

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Chicken-Pasta Salad Recipe

This colorful salad is a cinch to prepare and works well as a main dish. Chop veggies and cheese while pasta and peas are cooking to save time.

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Pasta Salad with Shrimp, Peppers, and Olives

Credit: Randy Mayor; Mary Catherine Muir

Pasta Salad with Shrimp, Peppers, and Olives Recipe

Toss angel hair pasta with shrimp, plum tomatoes, bell peppers, and olives for a Mediterranean-style main dish salad. Sprinkling with a small amount of sharp feta cheese gives the salad its distinct flavor, yet adds very little fat to the dish–a 2-cup serving has only 7.2 grams of fat.

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Confetti Pasta Salad

Credit: Howard L. Puckett; Styling: Christy Flowers

Confetti Pasta Salad Recipe

Pretty enough for a party, this pasta salad is as delicious as it is colorful. Fresh dill gives it an added twist that will have everyone begging for seconds. And, at only 204 calories per serving, why not?

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Penne, Crispy Tofu, and Green Bean Salad

Credit: Randy Mayor; Jan Gautro

Penne, Crispy Tofu, and Green Bean Salad Recipe

High in protein, low in saturated fat, and a good source of calcium and iron, firm tofu is sautéed and combined with green beans, tomatoes, and pasta in this vegetarian main dish salad. Cooking the beans and pasta together is also an excellent time-saver.

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Macaroni Salad with Bacon, Peas, and Creamy Dijon Dressing

Macaroni Salad with Bacon, Peas, and Creamy Dijon Dressing Recipe

This delicious twist on classic macaroni salad uses smoky bacon, sweet fresh peas, and spicy Dijon mustard for a recipe you're sure to make again and again. And with only 208 calories per serving, it's practically guilt-free!

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Summer Farfalle Salad with Smoked Salmon

Credit: Randy Mayor; Melanie J. Clarke

Summer Farfalle Salad with Smoked Salmon Recipe

This easy, well-rounded, low-fat dish is loaded with fresh flavors. It's great for a picnic meal or a simple weeknight dinner. It also packs a healthful punch with the benefits of essential omega-3 fatty acids from the salmon and the wealth of vitamins and minerals in the spinach!

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