Family-Friendly
Lunchbox Pasta Salad with Chicken & Sweetcorn
Make this on Sunday and the lunchboxes take care of themselves all week. Cibo di Italia Fusilli holds the lemony dressing in every spiral, the chicken keeps the kids full through the afternoon, and sweetcorn adds just enough sweetness to make the box disappear at break time.
Ingredients
- 300 g Cibo di Italia Classic Fusilli
- 300 g cooked chicken breast — shredded or diced — rotisserie or poached works well
- 200 g sweetcorn — drained tinned or defrosted frozen
- 150 g cherry tomatoes — halved
- 1 piece cucumber — small, diced into 1cm pieces
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice — about 1 medium lemon
- 1 tsp honey or maple syrup
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- to taste salt and black pepper
- 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley — chopped, optional
Method
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Step 1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the fusilli according to pack instructions until al dente — about 9–11 minutes. Taste at 9.
11 min
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Step 2. While the pasta cooks, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, honey and dried oregano in a large bowl. Season generously with salt and pepper.
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Step 3. Drain the fusilli and immediately tip it into the dressing bowl while still hot. Toss well — the warm pasta soaks up the dressing so the salad stays flavourful even when cold.
1 min
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Step 4. Spread the dressed pasta out on a tray or large plate for 5 minutes to cool quickly without clumping.
5 min
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Step 5. Add the shredded chicken, sweetcorn, cherry tomatoes and cucumber to the cooled pasta. Toss everything together gently.
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Step 6. Taste and adjust — a little more lemon juice brightens it, a pinch of salt pulls everything together. Scatter over parsley if using.
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Step 7. Divide into lunchboxes or a sealed container. Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Give the box a shake before packing — the dressing resettles at the bottom overnight.
Goes well with
A handful of cherry tomatoes and cucumber sticks on the side of the lunchbox.
A small bottle of cold lemon water or diluted apple juice.
A piece of seasonal fruit — sliced mango or a small bunch of grapes travel well.
Nutrition
Scaled to your servings
- 420kcalCalories21%
- 52gCarbohydrate20%
- 28gProtein56%
- 11gFat16%
The pasta we used
Cibo di Italia Fusilli
500g · Cooks in 9–11 minutes · Serves ~5
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