You just can’t go wrong with a good pasta salad, whether it’s pesto pasta salad, Greek pasta salad, or this hearty variety loaded with chicken and veggies. Pasta salad is a summer staple for good reason. It’s easy to make, great for picnics and potlucks, and is packed full of flavor. This mayo free chicken pasta salad recipe takes the classic dish to a whole new level with plenty of color and texture. Serve your salad with other summer time favorites such as burrata salad, cilantro lime shrimp or burnt ends. Offer some refrigerator pickles as a zesty appetizer and refreshing mango iced tea to drink. Don’t forget the cookie cake for a sweet finish!
Chicken Pasta Salad Ingredients
To make this salad, you will need pasta, chicken, Italian seasoning, olive oil, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, kalamata olives, fresh mozzarella balls, fresh parsley, salt and pepper. The dressing is made with extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, parmesan cheese, dried parsley, red bell pepper, minced dried onion, dried basil, dried oregano, garlic powder, salt, sugar, black pepper and red pepper flakes.
How Do You Make Chicken Pasta Salad?
Start by cooking your chicken, and cutting it into bite sized pieces. While the chicken is cooking, cook pasta in a large pot until it is al dente. Place the chicken and pasta in a large bowl along with tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, olives, fresh mozzarella and herbs. Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Drizzle the homemade dressing over the chicken and pasta mixture, then toss until well combined. Serve immediately, or store in the fridge to enjoy later.
Tips For The Perfect Salad
I prefer to grill boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. That being said, other types of cooked chicken will also work just fine such as leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken. Chicken thighs will also work in lieu of the breasts. I don’t recommend freezing pasta salad as the texture will change when it is thawed. I like to use a mandoline to thinly shave the red onion for the salad. While I typically use kalamata olives, any type of olives will work such as green olives or traditional ripe black olives.
Chicken Pasta Salad Flavor Variations
This dish is fabulous as written, but the beauty of pasta salad is that you can add all different ingredients to customize the flavors to your tastes.
Pasta: Instead of rotini, you can use any type of short pasta such as penne, farfalle, shells or macaroni. Protein: Feel free to up the protein by adding canned chickpeas, salami or cooked crumbled bacon. Cheese: Swap out the mozzarella with feta cheese, extra sharp white cheddar, or shaved parmesan. Vegetables: Add more veggies to the mix with cooked green beans, green onions, avocado, marinated artichoke hearts, fresh spinach, or grilled zucchini. You can also add more fresh herbs such as fresh basil.
This chicken pasta salad is the ultimate simple meal. My whole family loves this one, and you just can’t go wrong with the combination of tender chicken, crunchy veggies and pasta.
Chicken Pasta Salad Video
