High Protein Nicoise Pasta Salad

Finding a fresh, satisfying dish that works for summer potlucks, weeknight dinners, and meal prep can feel like an impossible task. After all, you want something that tastes great at room temperature, holds up well in the fridge, and doesn’t require you to turn on the oven when it’s already hot outside.

Luckily, this Nicoise pasta salad checks all the boxes: it combines the classic flavors of a French Nicoise salad with hearty pasta, it’s packed with protein and vegetables to keep everyone full, and you can easily adjust the ingredients based on what you have in your pantry.

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What Kind of Pasta Should I Use?

For this nicoise pasta salad, egg noodles like tagliatelle or pappardelle work really well because their wide, flat shape holds onto the dressing and makes every bite satisfying. If you can’t find those, fettuccine is a great substitute since it has a similar width and texture. Regular dried pasta from the grocery store works just fine – no need to spring for fresh pasta unless you want to. Just make sure to cook your noodles al dente and rinse them with cold water after draining to stop the cooking process and keep them from getting mushy in your salad.

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Options for Substitutions

This salad is pretty forgiving when it comes to swapping ingredients:

• Egg noodles: If you don’t have tagliatelle or pappardelle, try using fettuccine, linguine, or even bowtie pasta. The shape isn’t crucial here – just use what you have in your pantry.
• Shredded chicken: Rotisserie chicken works great to save time, but you can also use canned tuna (about 2 cans, drained) for a more traditional Niçoise approach, or swap in grilled salmon for something different.
• Kalamata olives: Any black olives will do if you can’t find Kalamata. Try Niçoise olives for an authentic touch, or use regular canned black olives in a pinch.
• Capers: If you’re not a fan of capers or don’t have them, you can leave them out entirely. The salad will still taste great without them.
• Whole grain mustard: Don’t have whole grain mustard? Just use an extra tablespoon of Dijon instead. You’ll lose a bit of texture but the flavor will still be there.
• Green beans: Fresh green beans are best, but frozen will work too. Just thaw them first and blanch for about 2 minutes instead of the usual 3-4 minutes for fresh.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake with pasta salad is overdressing it right away, which can make everything soggy – toss your salad with about two-thirds of the dressing first, then add more as needed since the pasta and potatoes will continue absorbing liquid as it sits.

Overcooking your green beans is another common issue that leads to mushy, dull vegetables instead of crisp, bright ones, so stick to that 30-60 second blanching time and immediately shock them in ice water to stop the cooking process.

Don’t skip the step of dressing the warm potatoes separately, as they’ll soak up more flavor when they’re hot, and make sure to cook your pasta just until al dente since it will soften further as it sits in the dressing.

Finally, wait to add the hard-boiled eggs until right before serving to prevent them from getting rubbery or discolored from sitting in the acidic dressing too long.

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What to Serve With Nicoise Pasta Salad?

This pasta salad is pretty much a complete meal on its own since it’s loaded with chicken, eggs, potatoes, and veggies, but I love serving it with some crusty French bread or a fresh baguette on the side. If you want to round out the meal, a light soup like gazpacho or a simple broth-based vegetable soup works great, especially during warmer months. For wine lovers, this pairs beautifully with a chilled rosé or a crisp white wine like Sauvignon Blanc. You could also serve it alongside other Mediterranean-inspired dishes at a potluck or barbecue, like hummus with pita chips or a simple caprese salad.

Storage Instructions

Store: This pasta salad actually gets better after sitting in the fridge for a few hours as the flavors meld together. Keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I like to store the hard-boiled eggs separately and add them right before serving so they stay fresh and don’t get rubbery.

Make Ahead: You can prep all the components a day in advance to save time. Cook the pasta, potatoes, and green beans, then store them separately from the dressing and fresh ingredients. Toss everything together a few hours before serving for the best texture and flavor.

Serve: This salad is meant to be served cold or at room temperature, so there’s no need to reheat. Just give it a good toss before serving and add a splash of extra lemon juice or olive oil if it seems a bit dry after sitting in the fridge.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1800-2000
• Protein: 110-130 g
• Fat: 100-115 g
• Carbohydrates: 120-135 g

Ingredients

For the vinaigrette:

• 1 tbsp shallot
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard (I always use Grey Poupon)
• 1 tbsp whole grain mustard
• 1/3 cup olive oil (I prefer Bertolli Extra Virgin for a smooth finish)
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (freshly squeezed for better acidity)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

For the pasta salad:

• 3 cups chicken
• 1/2 cucumber
• 1 1/2 cups tomatoes
• 6 oz green beans (trimmed and blanched for a bright crunch)
• 1/3 cup capers
• 1/2 cup onion
• 1 cup olives
• 2 cups potatoes (boiled and cut into 1-inch chunks)
• 1/2 cup pepper
• 4 eggs (hard-boiled and quartered)
• 8 oz pasta (I like Barilla Penne for this salad)

Step 1: Prepare the Vinaigrette

• 1 tbsp shallot
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp whole grain mustard
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Combine the shallot, both mustards, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.

Shake vigorously for about 30 seconds until the dressing is emulsified and well combined.

Set aside—this can be made up to a day ahead.

I always use freshly squeezed lemon juice here because it gives the dressing much brighter acidity than bottled, which really makes the salad sing.

Step 2: Cook the Potatoes and Green Beans

• 2 cups potatoes
• 6 oz green beans

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the potatoes, cooking for about 15 minutes until fork-tender.

While the potatoes cook, bring a separate pot of salted water to a boil for the green beans.

Once the potatoes are done, remove them and cut into 1-inch chunks.

In the same water, blanch the trimmed green beans for 30-60 seconds until bright green but still crisp, then immediately transfer to an ice bath to stop the cooking and preserve their vibrant color.

Drain well before using.

Step 3: Cook the Pasta and Prepare All Vegetables

• 8 oz pasta
• 3 cups chicken
• 1/2 cucumber
• 1 1/2 cups tomatoes
• 1/2 cup pepper
• 1/2 cup onion
• 4 eggs

While the potatoes and green beans are cooking, bring another pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until just al dente (firm to the bite)—don’t overcook or the salad will become mushy.

Drain and set aside.

While the pasta cooks, prepare all your vegetables: shred or cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, dice the cucumber, cut the tomatoes into wedges or chunks, slice the pepper into thin strips, and roughly chop the onion.

Hard-boil the eggs if not already done, then quarter them.

Having everything prepped before assembly makes the final steps quick and stress-free.

Step 4: Dress the Potatoes and Assemble the Salad

• cooked potatoes from Step 2
• pasta from Step 3
• green beans from Step 2
• chicken from Step 3
• tomatoes from Step 3
• cucumber from Step 3
• pepper from Step 3
• onion from Step 3
• 1 cup olives
• 1/3 cup capers
• vinaigrette from Step 1

Drizzle 3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette over the warm cooked potatoes and toss gently to combine—this allows the potatoes to absorb flavor while still warm.

In a large bowl, combine the potatoes with the cooked pasta from Step 3, blanched green beans from Step 2, chicken, tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, onion, olives, and capers.

Pour the remaining vinaigrette over everything and toss thoroughly until all components are evenly coated and combined.

Step 5: Finish and Serve

• eggs from Step 3

Transfer the salad to a serving bowl or plate and arrange the quartered hard-boiled eggs on top as an elegant garnish.

The salad can be served immediately while still slightly warm, or chilled for a couple of hours if you prefer it cold.

Either way, give it a gentle toss just before serving to redistribute the dressing.

High Protein Nicoise Pasta Salad

Delicious High Protein Nicoise Pasta Salad recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Servings 6 servings

Calories 1900 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the vinaigrette:

• 1 tbsp shallot
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard (I always use Grey Poupon)
• 1 tbsp whole grain mustard
• 1/3 cup olive oil (I prefer Bertolli Extra Virgin for a smooth finish)
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (freshly squeezed for better acidity)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

For the pasta salad:

• 3 cups chicken
• 1/2 cucumber
• 1 1/2 cups tomatoes
• 6 oz green beans (trimmed and blanched for a bright crunch)
• 1/3 cup capers
• 1/2 cup onion
• 1 cup olives
• 2 cups potatoes (boiled and cut into 1-inch chunks)
• 1/2 cup pepper
• 4 eggs (hard-boiled and quartered)
• 8 oz pasta (I like Barilla Penne for this salad)

Instructions

 

• Combine the shallot, both mustards, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake vigorously for about 30 seconds until the dressing is emulsified and well combined. Set aside—this can be made up to a day ahead. I always use freshly squeezed lemon juice here because it gives the dressing much brighter acidity than bottled, which really makes the salad sing.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the potatoes, cooking for about 15 minutes until fork-tender. While the potatoes cook, bring a separate pot of salted water to a boil for the green beans. Once the potatoes are done, remove them and cut into 1-inch chunks. In the same water, blanch the trimmed green beans for 30-60 seconds until bright green but still crisp, then immediately transfer to an ice bath to stop the cooking and preserve their vibrant color. Drain well before using.
• While the potatoes and green beans are cooking, bring another pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until just al dente (firm to the bite)—don't overcook or the salad will become mushy. Drain and set aside. While the pasta cooks, prepare all your vegetables: shred or cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, dice the cucumber, cut the tomatoes into wedges or chunks, slice the pepper into thin strips, and roughly chop the onion. Hard-boil the eggs if not already done, then quarter them. Having everything prepped before assembly makes the final steps quick and stress-free.
• Drizzle 3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette over the warm cooked potatoes and toss gently to combine—this allows the potatoes to absorb flavor while still warm. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes with the cooked pasta from Step 3, blanched green beans from Step 2, chicken, tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, onion, olives, and capers. Pour the remaining vinaigrette over everything and toss thoroughly until all components are evenly coated and combined.
• Transfer the salad to a serving bowl or plate and arrange the quartered hard-boiled eggs on top as an elegant garnish. The salad can be served immediately while still slightly warm, or chilled for a couple of hours if you prefer it cold. Either way, give it a gentle toss just before serving to redistribute the dressing.