My Favorite Healthy Pasta Salad for Summer

By Brittany Mullins

3.91

86

Published Jun 18, 2025

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This healthy pasta salad is fresh, full of flavor, and perfect for summer cookouts or meal prep—no mayo required! Made with just 9 simple ingredients, it comes together in minutes.

A pasta salad in serving bowl with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and fresh basil. There is a wooden serving spoon in the bowl.
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I’m so excited to share this recipe with you because I know that you are going to LOVE this healthy pasta salad, which is an EBF-approved version of the pasta salad my mom used to make every summer growing up.

My mom’s traditional recipe calls for Miracle Whip… which isn’t exactly EBF friendly so I skipped it and used an olive oil-based balsamic dressing with fresh basil. Other than that the salad ingredients are all the same.

And Mom will be happy to know that I left the 1/2 teaspoon of sugar in the recipe. Maybe it’s just nostalgia, but I think it really does add a little something to the salad. I went with coconut sugar to keep things more natural and unrefined. 🙂

Why You Gotta Try This One

This isn’t just another pasta salad tossed in vinaigrette. It’s bright, herby, and full of fresh, crunchy veggies with just the right balance of sweet and tangy. I’ve brought it to cookouts, meal prepped it for the week, and eaten it straight from the bowl while standing at the fridge. It somehow works for every occasion and always disappears fast.

Ingredients Needed

Overall, this healthy pasta salad is quite a gem. It’s not only easy to prepare, but it requires only minimal ingredients and tastes so fresh and delicious. The recipe makes a ton so it’s also great for serving a crowd!

Healthy Pasta Salad ingredients: Basil, Cherry Tomatoes, Pasta, Coconut Sugar, Balsamic Vinegar, Red Onion, Cucumbers, Sea Salt, Olive Oil
  • pasta – I recommend using either penne or rotini pasta, but any other short pasta shape will work in this recipe.
  • tomatoes – these little guys add such great flavor to the salad.
  • cucumbers and red onion – for some added crunch.
  • balsamic dressing – a super simple dressing made with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, coconut sugar, crushed red pepper, sea salt.

Make This Salad Your Own

  • Mix-ins: Feel free to switch up your mix-ins for this pasta salad… I often do! Sometimes I change up the veggies based on what I have on hand. Feel free to get creative and make this your own!
  • Make it gluten-free: I’ve made this recipe before with chickpea pasta for a high-protein, gluten-free option, so that would also work.
  • Dressing: I love the balsamic dressing paired with this salad but any dressing would work if you’re in a pinch. Some options: Greek Salad Dressing, white balsamic vinaigrette or lemon vinaigrette.

How to Make This Healthy Pasta Salad

Cooked pasta in a mesh strainer next two two small bowls, one with cherry tomatoes and one with diced cucumber.

Step 1: Cook your pasta according to the package instructions.

The basil balsamic dressing ingredients in a small bowl for the healthy pasta salad.

Step 2: While the pasta is cooking make the dressing by whisking all the ingredients together in a small bowl.

Ingredients for the healthy pasta salad in a large bowl: cooked pasta, red onion, cherry tomatoes and cucumber.

Step 3: Add drained pasta into a large bowl with tomatoes, cucumber, and onion.

A woman's hand mixing together the healthy pasta salad with a wooden serving spoon.

Step 4: Pour dressing over the ingredients and stir well to fully coat everything in the dressing.

Brittany’s Recipe Tips

Before you toss everything together, here are a few little tips to take this salad from good to so good you’re bringing it to every cookout:

  • Salt your pasta water! This is your one chance to season the noodles themselves. It makes a big difference.
  • Cool the pasta completely. Warm pasta will absorb too much dressing and can get mushy. I usually rinse it under cold water to cool it down fast.
  • Let it marinate. This salad actually gets better after a few hours in the fridge. The flavors have time to mingle and the dressing really soaks in.
A pasta salad in serving bowl with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and fresh basil. There are two wooden serving spoons in the bowl.

Storing Pasta Salad

To make it in advance: You can prep the salad the night before and let it chill in the fridge until serving.

To store leftovers: Store any leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.

A pasta salad in serving bowl with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and fresh basil. There is a wooden serving spoon in the bowl.
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3.91 from 61 votes

Healthy Pasta Salad

By: Brittany Mullins
This healthy pasta salad is light, refreshing, and packed with flavor! It’s mayo-free and made with just 9 simple ingredients—it's the perfect side dish for summer.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 6 cups

Ingredients  

  • 8 oz penne or fusilli pasta
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 cups cucumbers, peeled and chopped
  • ¾ cup red onion, chopped
  • 3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • ¼ cup fresh basil, finely chopped
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon coconut sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt

Instructions 

  • Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and run cold water over cooked pasta to cool.
  • Add drained pasta into a large bowl with tomatoes, cucumber, and onion.
  • Whisk together balsamic vinegar, basil, olive oil, coconut sugar, and salt.
  • Pour over salad ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate until cold. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

  • Mix-ins: Feel free to switch up your mix-ins for this pasta salad… I often do! Sometimes I’ll add feta or avocado for some creaminess or I’ll change up the veggies based on what I have on hand. Feel free to get creative and make this your own.
  • To make it in advance: You can prep the salad the night before and let it chill in the fridge until serving.
  • To store leftovers: Store any leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 cup | Calories: 225kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 396mg | Potassium: 225mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: healthy pasta salad
Did you make this recipe?Mention @eatingbirdfood and tag #eatingbirdfood!

Serving Suggestions

This healthy pasta salad is super versatile and goes with just about anything. I love serving it as a side for summer cookouts, picnics, or easy weeknight dinners. It pairs especially well with grilled proteins and veggies! Here’s some ideas:

More Healthy Salads

Be sure to check out all of the pasta salad recipes as well as the full collection of salad recipes on EBF!

About Brittany

Hey there, I’m Brittany, the creator of Eating Bird Food, cookbook author, health coach and mama of two littles. Here you’ll find quick and easy recipes that make healthy fun and enjoyable for you and your family!

More about Brittany
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3.91 from 61 votes (56 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




86 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I made this salad last night. I didn’t have coconut sugar and I used dark brown sugar instead. It was delicious! My family enjoyed it! Thanks for the recipe

    Reply

    1. Love this so much, Belen. Thank you for sharing your review & star rating, I am glad the dark brown sugar worked well for you!

      Reply

  2. 5 stars
    I am surprised by how good this was! So light and refreshing. I normally don’t like raw onions, but with the vinegar and all the other ingredients it works! I did amp up the seasoning as I like stronger, saltier flavors: more balsamic vinegar, sugar, salt, and red pepper, but nothing that wasn’t already in the recipe!

    Reply

    1. WOO! This is great, Flora. I am excited to hear that you are loving this recipe and it is a hit. Thank you for sharing your review + star rating, I really appreciate it!

      Reply

  6. I’m going to have to keep this in mind. I love salad and prefer the grape tomatoes rather than one large slice. I think I”ll make the exception for the cucumbers. It’ll taste good with the vinegar.

    Reply

  7. 2 stars
    I love pasta salad and I was looking for healthy recipes so I thought I would give this recipe a shot. However, I did not like it at all, I think it was the balsamic vinegar that gave such a strong taste that I did not find appealing.

    Reply

    1. So sorry you didn’t enjoy this recipe, Lynsey. If you try it again, you can definitely use less balsamic vinegar and more olive oil if you’re not a fan of the balsamic taste.

      Reply

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