Lunchbox Pasta Salad with Zucchini, Yellow Squash, and Ham
Worried about what your kids eat when they’re at school? Packing them a balanced and nutritious lunchbox can put your mind at ease. Pasta salad is a great way to sneak more veggies into their diet, and it tastes great too. We call that a kid and parent friendly win-win!
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 box of Barilla® Mini Wheels pasta
- 4 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 2 cups of zucchini diced
- 2 cups of yellow squash diced
- 1 lemon juiced
- ¼ pound pound of deli ham julienned
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook mini wheel pasta according to instructions on package, toss in one tablespoon of the extra-virgin olive oil and set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat one tablespoon of olive oil and sauté zucchini and yellow squash until slightly browned, but still crispy.
- Remove from heat, place in a bowl or on a sheet tray and set aside to cool.
- In a bowl, combine lemon juice, salt, pepper and remaining olive oil and whisk to mix.
- When pasta and vegetables are cool, add to the bowl and fold in the julienned ham.
Notes
*Note from Anna Rosales, R.D. for Barilla: Below are the recommended serving sizes for the lunchbox pictured above:
½ of pasta recipe (about 1 cup)
3 ounces cherry tomatoes (about 6)
3/4 cup fruit
1 ounce whole grain crackers (about 5 crackers)
2 ounces part-skim mozzarella string cheese
3 ounces cherry tomatoes (about 6)
3/4 cup fruit
1 ounce whole grain crackers (about 5 crackers)
2 ounces part-skim mozzarella string cheese