Lunch

Mozzarella, Tomato and Basil Pasta Salad

Name: Mozzarella, Tomato and Basil Pasta Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 1 serving
Ingredients: 150 g Cooked wholewheat pasta; 80 g Light mozzarella; 150 g Cherry tomatoes; 30 g Rocket; 8 g Pine nuts; 8 g Olive oil; 2 tsp (10 g) Balsamic vinegar; A handful of leaves, torn Fresh basil

Wholewheat pasta with light mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, rocket and basil in a balsamic dressing with toasted pine nuts. Vegetarian, 27 g of protein for 489 kcal.

Calories: 489kcal
Protein: 27g
Fat: 22g
Carbs: 47g

Per serving, makes 1. 15 minutes of work. Published 8 September 2026.

Allergens

Gluten
Milk
Sulphites

Pine nuts are seeds and are not on the UK list of tree nuts, though people with nut allergies are often told to avoid them.
Nearly every bottle of balsamic lists sulphites.

Flags follow UK labelling rules and come from the ingredients as listed, not from any particular brand. Check the packet before cooking for somebody with an allergy.

Ingredients

Cooked wholewheat pasta150 g
Cooked weight.
Light mozzarella80 g
The reduced-fat sort. A standard ball at the same weight adds about 90 kcal.
Cherry tomatoes150 g
Rocket30 g
Pine nuts8 g
Olive oil8 g
Balsamic vinegar2 tsp (10 g)
Fresh basilA handful of leaves, torn

Method

Halve the tomatoes, salt them and leave them in a bowl for ten minutes until they have given up some juice.
Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan for two minutes, shaking, until golden. Watch them; they burn the moment you look away.
Whisk the oil and balsamic into the tomato juices, then toss the cold pasta, torn mozzarella and tomatoes through it.
Fold in the rocket and basil and scatter the pine nuts over.

Worth knowing

The salted tomatoes make the dressing. Skip that step and the salad is dry however much oil you add.
Packs well if the rocket and basil travel separately. Wholewheat pasta is here because it holds its bite cold; white pasta goes soft in the fridge.

Other lunch recipes that share ingredients with this one, or every lunch between 450 and 600 calories a serving.

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Macros are calculated from the weights listed above using standard food composition values, and will shift with your own brands and measuring. Weigh what you can. This is a recipe, not dietary advice. The full health disclaimer is below.