chicken caprese pasta salad bowls

Lunch

Chicken Caprese Pasta Salad Bowls

Pasta salad is a classic summer side dish, but adding protein (leftover grilled chicken is perfect here) and extra greens makes it a super-satisfying lunch. We use baby spinach, but arugula or baby kale works too. Top with a bright and tangy basil vinaigrette just before serving. The great news is that these easy meal-prep lunches take just 20 minutes to prepare—that's 4 days of lunches in less than 30 minutes.

Ingredients

8 ounces whole-grain rotini
1 (5 ounce) package baby spinach (about 6 cups)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
1 cup pearl-size or mini mozzarella balls (about 4 ounces)
1/2 cup basil vinaigrette

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook rotini according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold running water, then drain again and set aside.
Divide spinach among 4 single-serving lidded containers. Top each with 1 cup of the cooked pasta, 1/2 cup tomatoes, 1/2 cup chicken and one-fourth of the mozzarella balls.
Divide vinaigrette among 4 small lidded containers and refrigerate.
Seal the salad containers and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Dress with the vinaigrette just before serving.