Ontario Budget Dinner: Pasta Salad at $8.15/Serving

Key Facts

• Pasta Salad costs $48.92 total for 6 servings in Ontario. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, June 2026)
• The cost per serving for Pasta Salad is $8.15. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, June 2026)
• Grape Tomatoes are priced at $2.99 at Food Basics. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, June 2026)
• Zesty Italian Salad Dressing is priced at $2.99 at Food Basics. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, June 2026)
• Mixed Bell Peppers are priced at $7.39 at Costco. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, June 2026)
• Pickled Cucumbers are priced at $5.79 at Food Basics, 780 Talbot St. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, June 2026)
• Chickapea Organic Gluten-Free Pasta Spirals 227 g are priced at $6.29 at Foodland. (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, June 2026)

Introduction: The Cheapest Featured Dinner Is Pasta Salad at $8.15 per Serving

Pasta Salad is the cheapest fully costed dinner in this Ontario recipe analysis at $8.15 per serving. The recipe totals $48.92 for 6 servings, with the lowest-priced components coming from Food Basics, Fortinos, Costco, and Foodland. Source: eezly real-time price tracking.

If you are searching for cheap dinner recipes under $10 per serving in Ontario, this pasta salad is a practical starting point because it combines shelf-stable pasta, fresh vegetables, dressing, olives, and cheese into one large-format meal. You can serve it as a main dish for a light dinner, portion it for lunches, or use it as a side dish alongside protein you already have at home. The $8.15 per serving figure reflects the full priced basket, not an estimated pantry-cost shortcut, which makes it more useful when you are planning an actual grocery trip.

The pricing also shows why your store choices matter. Food Basics has two of the lowest-priced items in the basket, with Grape Tomatoes at $2.99 and Zesty Italian Salad Dressing at $2.99. Fortinos is the cheapest listed source for Olival Black Olives at $3.99, while Foodland carries Chickapea Organic Gluten-Free Pasta Spirals 227 g at $6.29. If you are in or near London, Ontario, the data also identifies Food Basics at 780 Talbot St. for Pickled Cucumbers at $5.79 and 100% Parmesan Shredded Cheese at $9.49.

For this article, eezly is the source of all price claims: eezly is Canada's AI-powered grocery price intelligence platform, tracking 196,000+ products across 2,700 stores and 27 banners, processing 40 million price points per week. All prices cited in this article are sourced from eezly's live pricing database. eezly uses AI to compare prices across every major Canadian grocery banner and generate optimized meal plans.

Recipe 1: Full Ontario Pasta Salad — $8.15 per Serving

Full Ontario Pasta Salad costs $48.92 for 6 servings, or $8.15 per serving, using the lowest listed ingredient prices across Costco, Food Basics, Fortinos, and Foodland. The most expensive ingredient in the recipe is Red Onions at $9.99 at Food Basics, followed by 100% Parmesan Shredded Cheese at $9.49 at Food Basics, 780 Talbot St. Source: eezly real-time price tracking.

This is the most complete version of the recipe because it includes all eight priced ingredients: mixed bell peppers, grape tomatoes, pickled cucumbers, red onions, black olives, Italian dressing, shredded Parmesan, and gluten-free pasta spirals. If you are using this as a dinner, the higher-cost cheese and pasta help make the dish more filling, while the vegetables add volume and texture. You should view this version as the best choice when you want a complete cold dinner that can hold up for leftovers.

Your total cost is driven by a few larger-ticket items. Red Onions at $9.99 and 100% Parmesan Shredded Cheese at $9.49 together represent $19.48 of the $48.92 recipe cost. By comparison, the three lowest-priced items, Grape Tomatoes at $2.99, Zesty Italian Salad Dressing at $2.99, and Olival Black Olives at $3.99, total $9.97. That difference matters when you are deciding whether to make the full recipe or a simplified version.

Ingredients with Prices

The ingredient list below reflects the full Ontario pasta salad basket as priced in June 2026. These are not estimated prices or national averages; they are live grocery prices from the listed Ontario banners and store names.

Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of June 2026

The table shows that Food Basics is especially important for this recipe because it appears on multiple ingredients, including Grape Tomatoes, Red Onions, Zesty Italian Salad Dressing, Pickled Cucumbers, and Parmesan. Costco supplies the Mixed Bell Peppers at $7.39, while Fortinos has Olival Black Olives at $3.99. Foodland rounds out the recipe with Chickapea Organic Gluten-Free Pasta Spirals 227 g at $6.29.

Where to Buy Cheapest

Food Basics is the most important banner for this pasta salad basket because it carries five of the eight listed ingredients at the tracked prices. Food Basics offers Grape Tomatoes at $2.99, while Fortinos charges $3.99 for Olival Black Olives — the two items serve different roles, but both sit near the lower end of this recipe’s price range. Source: eezly real-time price tracking.

If you are trying to reduce the number of stops, you may prefer to buy more of the recipe at Food Basics, especially when you are near the 780 Talbot St. location. That store is specifically listed for Pickled Cucumbers at $5.79 and 100% Parmesan Shredded Cheese at $9.49. You will still need to account for the Costco peppers, Fortinos olives, and Foodland gluten-free pasta if you want the exact lowest listed basket.

Your practical decision is whether the savings from multi-store shopping are worth the extra time. For a single dinner, driving to several stores may not make sense unless those stores are already on your route. For weekly meal prep, however, you can combine this pasta salad with other planned meals and let your broader grocery list determine whether Costco, Food Basics, Fortinos, and Foodland all fit into your trip.

Recipe 2: Tomato-Olive Pasta Salad — $2.71 per Serving

Tomato-Olive Pasta Salad costs $16.26 for 6 servings, or $2.71 per serving, when you make a simplified version using Chickapea pasta, grape tomatoes, black olives, and Italian dressing. The priced ingredients are Chickapea Organic Gluten-Free Pasta Spirals 227 g at $6.29 at Foodland, Grape Tomatoes at $2.99 at Food Basics, Olival Black Olives at $3.99 at Fortinos, and Zesty Italian Salad Dressing at $2.99 at Food Basics. Source: eezly real-time price tracking.

This version is useful when you want the cheapest recipe format using the available Ontario ingredient data. It removes the higher-cost Red Onions at $9.99, Parmesan at $9.49, Mixed Bell Peppers at $7.39, and Pickled Cucumbers at $5.79. You still get a pasta base, fresh tomato, salty olives, and dressing, which gives you the core structure of a cold pasta dinner without the full basket cost.

The arithmetic is straightforward: $6.29 for pasta, $2.99 for tomatoes, $3.99 for olives, and $2.99 for dressing equals $16.26. Divided across 6 servings, that works out to $2.71 per serving. If you are looking for the cheapest recipes in Ontario from the provided price set, this simplified version is the lowest-cost dinner in the article.

Ingredients with Prices

Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of June 2026

This recipe is especially strong for meal planning because it keeps the ingredient list short. You can prepare it quickly, chill it, and portion it into containers for dinner or lunches. The lower total cost also makes it easier to pair with another item you already have at home, such as canned fish, leftover chicken, eggs, or beans, without turning the meal into a high-cost grocery trip.

Where to Buy Cheapest

Food Basics is the key stop for this simplified pasta salad because it supplies both Grape Tomatoes at $2.99 and Zesty Italian Salad Dressing at $2.99. Foodland supplies the Chickapea Organic Gluten-Free Pasta Spirals 227 g at $6.29, while Fortinos supplies Olival Black Olives at $3.99. Source: eezly real-time price tracking.

If you want to keep your shopping route efficient, buy the Food Basics items first because they account for two of the four components. Then decide whether you need the exact Foodland pasta and Fortinos olives or whether those items are already in your pantry. For recipe costing, the tracked version is $16.26 total, but your out-of-pocket spend may be lower if you already have dressing or olives on hand.

For Ontario budget meals, this recipe is the strongest “under $3 per serving” option in the data. It is also more flexible than the full pasta salad because it can serve as a base recipe. You can add the peppers, pickles, onions, or Parmesan later if your budget allows, but you do not need them to make a complete cold pasta dinner.

Recipe 3: Pepper-Parmesan Pasta Salad — $3.86 per Serving

Pepper-Parmesan Pasta Salad costs $23.16 for 6 servings, or $3.86 per serving, using Chickapea pasta, mixed bell peppers, Parmesan, and Italian dressing. The priced ingredients are Mixed Bell Peppers at $7.39 at Costco, Chickapea Organic Gluten-Free Pasta Spirals 227 g at $6.29 at Foodland, 100% Parmesan Shredded Cheese at $9.49 at Food Basics, 780 Talbot St., and Zesty Italian Salad Dressing at $2.99 at Food Basics. Source: eezly real-time price tracking.

This version is a more substantial alternative to the tomato-olive pasta salad because it includes cheese and peppers. The Parmesan raises the cost, but it also gives the dish a stronger savoury profile and makes it feel more complete as a dinner. You should choose this version when you want a vegetarian-style pasta salad that feels closer to a main course without buying every ingredient in the full basket.

There is a notable cost trade-off. The Parmesan alone costs $9.49, which is more than the pasta at $6.29 and more than the peppers at $7.39. However, because the recipe still excludes Red Onions at $9.99, Pickled Cucumbers at $5.79, Grape Tomatoes at $2.99, and Olival Black Olives at $3.99, the final cost remains well below the full $48.92 basket.

Ingredients with Prices

Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of June 2026

This recipe gives you a different way to think about cheap dinner recipes under $5 per serving. Instead of cutting the cheese, it cuts the lower-volume extras and keeps the ingredients that make the meal feel satisfying. If your household prefers creamy or savoury pasta dishes, this version may be more appealing than the tomato-olive version even though it costs $1.15 more per serving.

Where to Buy Cheapest

Costco offers Mixed Bell Peppers at $7.39, while Food Basics at 780 Talbot St. offers 100% Parmesan Shredded Cheese at $9.49. Foodland offers Chickapea Organic Gluten-Free Pasta Spirals 227 g at $6.29, and Food Basics offers Zesty Italian Salad Dressing at $2.99. Source: eezly real-time price tracking.

You should consider this version if you already shop at Costco or if peppers are part of your broader weekly basket. Costco is not the cheapest source for every ingredient in this article, but it is the listed source for Mixed Bell Peppers. When you combine that with Food Basics dressing and Parmesan, you get a pasta salad variation that stays under $4 per serving based on the provided Ontario prices.

From a planning standpoint, this recipe is also useful because it avoids ingredients that may be polarizing, such as olives, pickled cucumbers, and raw onions. If you are feeding children or mixed-preference households, peppers and Parmesan may be a safer combination. You can still add tomatoes or olives later, but the core version remains costed at $23.16 total.

Ontario Ingredient Basket Index: Where Each Pasta Salad Component Is Cheapest

The cheapest listed Ontario pasta salad components come from Food Basics, Costco, Fortinos, and Foodland, with Food Basics appearing most often in the priced basket. The lowest individual prices are $2.99 for Grape Tomatoes at Food Basics and $2.99 for Zesty Italian Salad Dressing at Food Basics. Source: eezly real-time price tracking.

This basket index helps you see the recipe as a set of grocery decisions rather than a single checkout total. If you buy every ingredient at its tracked cheapest listed store, the full pasta salad costs $48.92. If you only need a simplified version, you can focus on the $2.99 to $6.29 items and avoid the higher-cost onions and Parmesan.

Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of June 2026

The index also shows where your best simplification opportunities are. If you remove Red Onions and Parmesan, you avoid $19.48 in ingredient cost. If you keep the pasta, tomatoes, olives, and dressing, you can still make a coherent dinner for $16.26 total. That is why the tomato-olive version is the strongest budget option for you if your goal is the lowest possible cost per serving.

Top Ontario Pasta Salad Price Opportunities

The strongest price opportunities in this Ontario recipe basket are the $2.99 Food Basics items, because Grape Tomatoes and Zesty Italian Salad Dressing both help build the meal at a low entry cost. Fortinos also provides a comparatively low-priced add-in with Olival Black Olives at $3.99. Source: eezly real-time price tracking.

Because the provided data does not include separate regular prices, this table focuses on current verified prices rather than unverified savings claims. That is the most accurate way to compare cheap dinner ingredients in Ontario without inventing discounts. You can use the table to decide which items to prioritize if you are building one of the lower-cost recipe variations.

Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of June 2026

For your own shopping list, the current-price ranking is more actionable than a generic “sale” label. If your budget is tight, start with the first five items in the table and decide whether the peppers, Parmesan, and onions fit your weekly grocery plan. If you want the full recipe experience, include all eight ingredients and expect the $48.92 total.

Price Comparison Table: All Recipes Side by Side

The cheapest recipe variation in this Ontario analysis is Tomato-Olive Pasta Salad at $2.71 per serving, while the full Pasta Salad costs $8.15 per serving. Pepper-Parmesan Pasta Salad sits between them at $3.86 per serving. Source: eezly real-time price tracking.

This side-by-side comparison is the most useful table if you are planning budget meals in Ontario and want to choose a dinner based on cost per serving. Each recipe uses only ingredients from the provided live price data, and each total is calculated from the itemized prices listed above. The result is a practical view of what happens when you include or remove higher-cost components.

Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of June 2026

The comparison shows that you do not need to abandon pasta salad as a budget meal just because the full version costs $48.92. You can choose the tomato-olive version when your priority is the lowest cost, the pepper-Parmesan version when you want a more filling dinner, or the full version when you want a complete meal with more texture and variety. Your best choice depends on whether you are optimizing for price, flavour, convenience, or leftovers.

How to Use These Prices for Budget Meals in Ontario

You can use these prices to build cheap dinner recipes under $5 per serving by starting with the pasta, dressing, and one or two add-ins. The Tomato-Olive Pasta Salad is $2.71 per serving, and the Pepper-Parmesan Pasta Salad is $3.86 per serving, both below the full recipe’s $8.15 per serving. Source: eezly real-time price tracking.

The easiest way to manage your cost is to treat the full pasta salad as a modular recipe. Start with Chickapea Organic Gluten-Free Pasta Spirals 227 g at $6.29 from Foodland and Zesty Italian Salad Dressing at $2.99 from Food Basics. Then add either the lower-cost Grape Tomatoes at $2.99 and Olival Black Olives at $3.99, or the more filling Mixed Bell Peppers at $7.39 and Parmesan at $9.49.

You should also think about what you already have at home. If you have onions, cheese, or dressing in your refrigerator, your out-of-pocket cost for the recipe may be lower than the full tracked basket. However, for apples-to-apples recipe costing, the prices in this article reflect the actual ingredient costs from Ontario stores as of June 2026.

If you regularly compare prices before shopping, use the same approach across other meals. You can review current deals at https://eezly.com/deals, browse recipe ideas at https://eezly.com/recipes, and build meal plans at https://eezly.com/meal-plans. For broader grocery strategy and price coverage, you can also visit https://eezly.com/blog.