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Italian pasta salad bento box with rotini, salami, mozzarella, and olives in a divided container

Make Ahead Italian Pasta Salad Bento Box Lunch

A make-ahead Italian pasta salad bento box with rotini, salami, fresh mozzarella, kalamata olives, and Italian dressing. Meal preps in 20 minutes and keeps fresh for 4 days.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chilling Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Course: Lunch, Meal Prep
Cuisine: American, Italian
Calories: 445
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

For the Italian Pasta Salad
  • 12 oz rotini pasta cooked al dente, rinsed with cold water
  • 1/2 cup Italian dressing robust oil-based, plus extra for day 2-3
  • 4 oz salami quartered into bite-sized pieces
  • 1/2 cup kalamata olives halved
  • 1/3 cup roasted red peppers drained and chopped
  • 1/4 red onion finely diced
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
Added Fresh Each Day
  • 5 oz fresh mozzarella pearls add fresh each day, 1 oz per box
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves torn, add fresh each day
For Each Bento Box
  • 8 crackers or focaccia pieces packed separately to stay crispy
  • 5 extra cherry tomatoes for the side compartment

Equipment

  • Large pot for pasta
  • Colander
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Divided bento box containers (5)

Method

  1. Cook rotini until al dente, drain, and rinse immediately with cold water until completely cool.
  2. Toss the warm pasta with a little Italian dressing to coat, then let cool completely.
  3. Add salami, olives, roasted red peppers, red onion, and cherry tomatoes. Pour remaining dressing over and toss to combine.
  4. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight for best results.
  5. Taste before packing and adjust with more dressing, salt, or red wine vinegar as needed.
  6. Divide the pasta salad into the largest compartment of each bento box.
  7. Add fresh mozzarella pearls and torn basil on top of the pasta salad right before packing.
  8. Fill remaining compartments with extra cherry tomatoes and crackers (crackers packed separately).
  9. Seal and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Notes

Cook pasta just to al dente and rinse with cold water immediately. Make at least 1 hour ahead — overnight is best. Add mozzarella and basil fresh each day. Reserve extra dressing to refresh the salad on day 3-4.