Quick and easy lemon ricotta pasta salad

Updated February 2025 | 4 min read
Expert contributor Gabrielle Zammit, HCF Health Coach and accredited practising dietitian
Words by Donnay Torr

From side plates to star of the show, salads are a healthy food staple. This simple and delicious pasta salad is a nutritious choice for any lunch or dinner.

From healthy pasta salads to cooling Asian cucumber dishes, salads can be as complex or as simple as the ingredients and time allow. All it takes is a bit of creativity and willingness to experiment with textures and flavours to transform your salad from bland to hearty and healthy, says Gabrielle Zammit, HCF Health Coach and accredited practising dietitian.

“Salads are incredibly versatile. By selecting different vegetables, alternating protein sources, experimenting with wholesome carbohydrates and topping with tasty dressings, you can create countless healthy combinations without spending hours in the kitchen,” she says.

How to create a healthy salad

The main benefit of a healthy salad is it can boost your vegie intake, helping you hit your recommended five serves a day. Adding a variety of plants improves our intake of gut-loving dietary fibre, micronutrients, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants too, says Gabrielle.

To create your own healthy salads, she suggests following this simple formula.

• Step 1: Make half your bowl colourful vegetables and/or fruit as these will add a variety of nutrients and vitamins to your diet.
• Step 2: Fill a quarter of your bowl with healthy lean protein (like chicken, salmon, low-fat dairy, eggs, tofu, legumes) to keep you fuller for longer.
• Step 3: Fill the last quarter with low-GI carbs (like quinoa, basmati rice, pasta) – these are absorbed more slowly, causing a smaller rise in blood sugar and providing sustained energy.
• Step 4: Top with heart-healthy fats (like avocado, seeds, nuts, olive oil), which promote healthier cholesterol levels and lower cardiovascular risk factors.

The importance of protein in salads

Gabrielle stresses that adding enough healthy lean protein is key to a satisfying salad and is particularly important for midlife women.

“Protein-rich foods provide amino acids, essential for building and maintaining muscle,” she says. “Getting enough protein is important as we age, as our muscle mass naturally decreases.”

Post-menopausal women are especially susceptible to muscle-mass loss, she adds, as oestrogen levels drop, so prioritising protein intake becomes very important.

Easy protein-rich salad ingredients include:

• chicken breast
• canned tuna or salmon
• boiled eggs
• plant-based proteins like tofu and tempeh
• Greek yoghurt as a protein-rich dressing base
• canned or frozen edamame beans. “Half a cup of edamame beans contains about 8g of protein – that’s more protein than you would find in an egg,” says Gabrielle.

A lot of these proteins you might find in your fridge, she adds, making salads perfect for using up leftovers.

5 healthy salad swaps

Typical not-so-healthy salad ingredients to avoid using include creamy dressings, store-bought croutons or crunchy fried noodles, and processed or deep-fried meats like bacon, chorizo and crispy chicken.

“These foods are high in saturated fats and salt, both of which should be limited as part of a heart-healthy diet,” explains Gabrielle, adding that some cheeses like feta (high in salt), blue cheese (high in fat and salt) and halloumi (high in fat and salt) should also be eaten in moderation.

Try these options instead.

1. Make croutons by topping toasted sourdough bread with garlic-infused olive oil for a lower-GI option with less saturated fat.
2. Swap mayonnaise and creamy dressings for a homemade Greek yoghurt-based dressing – mix plain Greek yoghurt, lemon juice, crushed garlic and fresh mint.
3. For crunch, add pepita or sunflower seeds instead of bacon bits.
4. Swap salt for fresh herbs, chilli, lemon or vinegars to add flavour.
5. Choose lower-fat cheese options like cottage cheese or ricotta.

Lemon ricotta pasta salad

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 to 15 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 300g dry pasta
• 3 tbsp basic balsamic dressing
• 125g ricotta
• juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 1 garlic clove, sliced
• 50g parmesan cheese
• ½ fennel bulb, sliced paper thin, some fronds reserved
• 2 large handfuls (60g) radicchio, leaves torn
• 2 large handfuls (60g) flat-leaf parsley
• 1 cup (100g) walnuts

For serving

• chilli flakes
• pre-bought balsamic dressing

Method

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the directions on the packet. Drain and shake dry, then toss in 3 tablespoons of the balsamic dressing. Set aside to cool.
2. Combine the ricotta with the lemon juice and zest, and the garlic. Set aside.
3. Add the parmesan to the cooled, dressed pasta and stir to combine. Add the fennel, radicchio and most of the parsley and walnuts to the pasta and stir to combine.
4. Place half the pasta in a serving dish. Dot with teaspoons of ricotta, saving half, and then add the remaining pasta and ricotta. Top with the remaining parsley and walnuts, add chilli flakes to taste, then drizzle with additional balsamic dressing to taste.

This is an edited extract from Epic Salads by Jessica Prescott, published by Hardie Grant Books. Photography by Rochelle Eagle.

A helping hand

We’re helping eligible members save on the evidence-based CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet. Created by Australia’s national science agency, the program combines a higher-protein, low-GI eating plan with proven weight management tools to help improve habits and create lifelong positive behaviours. You can get a 20% discount on the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet 12 Week Program with eligible extras cover or through HCF Thank You, or free access to the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet 16 Week Program, if you have hospital cover and meet clinical and other eligibility criteria^*.