This Italian Pasta Mason Jar Salad is great for your weekly meal-prep. Mason jar salads can be made ahead of time by layering your favorite dressing, vegetables, pasta, greens, nuts and cheese and stored in the jar until ready to eat.
It is the time of year that many of us are thinking more about what we eat each day.
We try to meal-prep more at the beginning of the week and plan ahead for our weekly meals. I know that I have been looking at my families meals and eating more lately and trying to make things easier for myself.
Today’s Italian Pasta Mason Jar Salad is a great way to meal-prep a protein packed salad for the week ahead. Mason jar salads are one way to meal prep salads for lunches and dinners that are already assembled and ready to eat.
You can layer any salad ingredients you have on hand.
Today’s salad has pasta, vegetables, ham, salami and pepperoni along with a creamy Italian dressing and goat cheese. You can leave out the meat and use chickpeas instead or even try lentils.
If you are trying to skip the pasta you can use grains instead like quinoa, bulgar or brown rice.
I am a big fan of salads and love rotating these mason jar salads with this Mediterranean Bean Salad, Balela Salad or this Lebanese Salad.
Why you Will Love this Salad
- Great for Meal-Prep: Mason jar salads are a great way to meal-prep salads for the week ahead. You can prep a variety of different ingredients in jars along with the dressing on the bottom of the jar and have a healthy lunch option for work or a salad to-go.
- On-the-go Meal Option: Preparing salads in jars is a great way to have a meal on-the-go. If you are traveling you can pack your jar salad in a cooler and eat it in the car or airplane. These are healthy lunches that are great for traveling.
- Easy to Make: These jars are so easy to make. Your start with your dressing on the bottom which can be homemade or your favorite store-bought and then layer the hard chopped vegetables followed by any pasta or grain, greens and then toppings like cheese or nuts.
Recipe Ingredients You’ll Need
- Pasta: Add whatever cooked pasta you like. I find small or medium works best so you can fit the other ingredients in the mason jar.
- Protein: Add diced pepperoni, ham and salami. I like to chop it small so it fits nicely.
- Vegetables: The crisp vegetables add great texture. I used red onion, tomatoes, corn and banana peppers.
- Cheese: You can add your favorite cheese. I added goat cheese but you could add feta cheese, parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese or cheddar cheese.
- Greens: Greens are a great finishing touch. It uses mixed green and romaine lettuce.
- Dressing: The dressing is a yogurt based Italian dressing. You can use mayo in place of the yogurt.
For exact ingredient amounts and instructions, see the full recipe card below.
How to Make a Mason Jar Salad
Step 1: Add Dressing: Pour your favorite salad dressing in the bottom of the mason jar or canning jars.
Step 2: Layer Hard Veggies: Add any hard crunchy veggies like carrots or celery as they hold up against the dressing and prevent a soggy salad.
Step 3: Add Beans, Pasta and/or Grains: Add any beans, grains, and/or pasta to above the dressing or hard vegetables.
Step 4: Layer in Other Ingredients like Protein and Cheese: Add a layer of crumbled cheese and proteins like beans, ham, pepperoni, shrimp or chicken if you’re eating it within the day.
Step 5: Add Soft Veggies: Add any softer veggies or fruits, like avocados, corn, onion or tomatoes.
Step 6: Finish with Seeds & Nuts: Add any nuts or seeds like sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pine nuts or sliced almonds.
Step 7: Fill with Greens: Fill the rest of the jar with salad greens. Screw the lid on the jar.
Store in the fridge until ready to eat. Give the jar a good shake to distribute the dressing once ready to eat, pour the salad into a bowl, mix again if necessary and enjoy.
Ways to Modify a Mason Jar Salad
- Beans and Lentils: Try white beans, chickpeas, red beans, black beans or cooked lentils.
- Protein: Add protein like chicken breast, shrimp, ham, pepperoni, salami, shredded pork or shredded steak.
- Grains: Try quinoa, bulgur, brown rice or farro.
- Vegetables: Try carrots, celery, radish, diced bell peppers, roasted red peppers, artichokes, olives or sun-dried tomatoes.
- Cheese: Try feta, goat cheese, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese or pepper jack cheese.
- Nuts and Seeds: I like sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pine nuts or pistachios.
- Greens: Add leafy greens, mixed greens, kale, spinach or romaine lettuce.
- Dressing: You can use your favorite store-bought dressing like a balsamic dressing or try making this Creamy Dill Dressing or Tahini Sauce.
- Other Ingredients:There are a lot of other ingredients you can add to these jars. Try pickled red onions, pickles, quick pickled vegetables, hard-boiled eggs, olives or mushrooms.
Storage Tips
If you seal the mason jar properly it can last 4-5 days in the refrigerator. I would wait to add delicate ingredients (like avocado or croutons) until just before eating.
Recipe FAQ
The layering is key to keeping your salad fresh and crisp. Follow this order:
Dressing – always put this at the bottom to prevent soggy greens.
Hearty Vegetables – cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, carrots.
Proteins & Grains – chicken, tofu, chickpeas, quinoa, beans, or cheese
Soft Add-ins – avocado, berries, nuts, or dried fruit.
Greens – spinach, arugula, romaine, or kale (always on top)
It is best to use 32-ounce (quart-sized) jar for a larger salad. If you want a small portion you can use a 16 ounce (pint-sized) jar.
Other Salad Recipes
Salads
Summer Orzo Pasta Salad
Mediterranean
Easy Lebanese Salad
Mediterranean
Mediterranean Eggplant Salad
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Italian Pasta Mason Jar Salad
Ingredients
- 2 – 32 ounce wide mouth mason jar
- 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt or mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup of your favorite Italian dressing
- 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon of Italian Seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
SALAD INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups of cooked pasta, try whole wheat or chickpea pasta for a healthier option or try grains like quinoa instead
- 1/4 cup diced pepperoni
- 1/4 cup diced hard salami
- 1/4 cup diced ham
- 1/4 cup red onion, sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup banana peppers
- 1/2 cup corn, drained
- 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese {or try mozzarella cheese or Parmesan cheese}
- 1 cup mixed greens or lettuce
Instructions
- Start by placing your Greek yogurt or mayo, Italian dressing, Italian seasoning, red wine vinegar, and salt and pepper into a bowl or salad dressing container. Mix vigorously until well combined.
- Divide the dressing evenly between your two jars to your liking {I didn’t use all my dressing because I don’t like a lot of dressing. So I saved the rest to store in my fridge for later}
- Divide your pasta between your two jars.
- Divide your meat between the two jars and place on top of the pasta.
- Add your tomatoes, banana peppers, corn, and red onion to each jar.
- Top each salad with goat cheese and then the lettuce and seal until ready to use.
- Store in the frdige until ready to eat. When ready to eat pour the salad into a bowl. Mix well, and enjoy!
Notes
- Feel free to leave out the meat for a vegetarian vesrion.
- Try adding other vegetables like carrots, bell peppers, poblanos, celery and radish.
