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Can anyone help me with some easy cold pasta lunch recipes for work lunchboxes?

(22 Posts)
JaneJudge Sun 03-Jul-22 11:19:32

Just that really. I think it will fill me up better and I haven't a clue where to start. I have cooked some sausages this morning to go into the imaginary one for tomorrows lunch.

Any easy suggestions that wont be claggy?

LOUISA1523 Sun 03-Jul-22 11:20:57

Placemarking for any veggie options

ExDancer Sun 03-Jul-22 11:29:41

There's a page on here (right hand side, called 'Latest') on 'Pasta salad recipes' which I have tried, but can't say they inspired me much. Are you doing "slimming world" where pasta is 'free'?
If not, I would use bread and make sausage sandwiches - counting the bread in with my daily ration of carbs.

ShewhomustbeEbayed Sun 03-Jul-22 11:30:29

I just make versions of the ones you can buy :
Honey and mustard chicken pasta, either bought chicken slices or cold roast chicken, tinned sweetcorn and either pre-bought honey and mustard dressing or home made ( white wine vinegar, olive oil, runny honey and wholegrain mustard mixed to taste ) I like to use 3 colour or wholemeal pasta shapes.
The sausages would be nice with tomato and herb pasta sauce, sweetcorn and pasta.

Elizabeth27 Sun 03-Jul-22 11:50:28

Salmon and broccoli, tuna and sweetcorn, pesto and feta, roasted veg are a few of my favourites.

Often it is whatever needs using up in the fridge.

Nanna58 Sun 03-Jul-22 11:54:11

Not pasta , but Nigella ( not a fan generally, and I do not eat this dish in a lascivious fashion!) does a beautiful lunchbox dish with noodles , veg chicken and a peanut satay sauce, it’s scrummy! Should be online ?

paddyann54 Sun 03-Jul-22 12:30:15

I make a base salad,very finely chopped/diced cucumber ,onion.tomato peppers toss in some canned sweetcorn .Then I add the chicken that was poached in stock with a curry mayo ,or tuna with a lemon mayo or feta and olives with olive oil and garlic I tend to use small pasta shapes with all of them .I;ve been doing these since my kids were very small ,note no tomato sauce as it would have stained school uniforms...lol.
My daughter had it entered into a school cookery book in the mid 80's as her favourite thing to make .She was 7

StarDreamer Sun 03-Jul-22 12:48:41

You could take a sachet of Ella's Kitchen 4 month plus baby food with you and open it and squeeze the contents onto the pasta when you are ready to eat. Many flavour choices available.

Delicious at ambient temperature but you could warm the sachet by standing it in hot water before opening it if you so choose, but don't try to heat it in a microwave cooker as the manufacturer says not to do that.

Jaxjacky Sun 03-Jul-22 12:55:01

I’m not fond of cold pasta, is it just to be filling Jane?

HowVeryDareYou Sun 03-Jul-22 17:50:50

I do this one and my GC love it -

chunks of chicken breast, browned with onion, yellow and red peppers, sweetcorn, peas and mushrooms. I put the cooked pasta in with it all, and add a tub of creme fraiche and salt & pepper to taste.

Riverwalk Sun 03-Jul-22 18:31:17

I have the very thing!

Orzotto which I made today - I have it hot but saved some for salad tomorrow and one portion in the freezer. Because the pieces are so small it doesn't go claggy like cold penne - just a light forking will separate the 'grains'.

Based on this BBC recipe, I used chorizo crumb not pancetta and added a pinch of saffron smile

Orzotto

Stephanie48 Sun 03-Jul-22 18:38:40

StarDreamer

You could take a sachet of Ella's Kitchen 4 month plus baby food with you and open it and squeeze the contents onto the pasta when you are ready to eat. Many flavour choices available.

Delicious at ambient temperature but you could warm the sachet by standing it in hot water before opening it if you so choose, but don't try to heat it in a microwave cooker as the manufacturer says not to do that.

Seriously? Baby food?

Stephanie48 Sun 03-Jul-22 18:41:41

Cooked pasta, pine nuts, some pesto.

Pasta, cherry tomatoes, tinned sweet corn, chopped celery / light dressing

Pasta, feta cheese, black olives, cherry tomatoes, basil leaves

Riverwalk Sun 03-Jul-22 18:46:15

Along similar lines but using bread as the filler, what about Panzanella. It's easy and no cooking!

Various recipes but basically tomatoes, red onions, olive oil and chunks of toasted ciabatta.

Panzanella

dragonfly46 Sun 03-Jul-22 18:51:19

I make a salad by roasting peppers, chillis, and any other veg you fancy. When cold I mix it with chorizo and cooked orzo pasta. I make a dressing of wine vinegar, olive oil and honey. It keeps for a while and is delicious cold.
Orzo is. Ice because it is more like rice so no overload of pasta.

JaneJudge Fri 08-Jul-22 09:04:08

Thank you for all the suggestions, I really appreciate it. I managed one pasta lunch with the sausages after all. I did some chopped up salad like one of you suggested, some pasta, sausages and some salad dressing smile and it was actually very filling.

As some of you have asked. My job is very physical and I'm on my feet all day and sometimes a sandwich just doesn't fill me up and I'm hungry in a few hours (despite drinking plenty of water) I just thought pasta might help. I suppose I should try rice too

Sago Fri 08-Jul-22 09:34:58

I used to make a bean salad, any tinned beans, cannellini etc, tuna, sweetcorn, cucumber, carrot, peppers,raisins, pasta,celery, tomato, drizzle with dressing.
This will last a few days in the fridge and is so cheap and easy.

H1954 Fri 08-Jul-22 09:43:03

Sorry, I cannot help with the pasta recipes, I can't think of anything worse than cold pasta.

Mixed beans do make a tasty addition, Tesco sell them and generally one can would do two salads for me. Add some salad leaves, and all the usual stuff along with a tasty dressing, yummy!

JaneJudge Fri 08-Jul-22 09:43:54

I can't have beans. The whole of my floor would leave in horror

Sago Fri 08-Jul-22 10:36:08

?Try cous cous or bulgar wheat in place of the beans!

Riverwalk Fri 08-Jul-22 11:12:53

You probably need a substantial snack in the afternoon, something like a scotch egg, small stuffed pita, or large banana.

solutionst Tue 19-Jul-22 11:43:14

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