Pesto Chicken Pasta Salad

No ratings yet

Published May 07, 2026

This post may contain affiliate links.

This pesto chicken pasta salad is a fresh and flavorful dish that comes together easily and is so flavor packed. A simple basil pesto, juicy chicken, mozzarella pearls, pasta and fresh vegetables make this a crowd pleaser. Simple to vary, and easily can be a full meal or a side dish!

Pesto chicken pasta salad in bowl with serving spoon.

Why We Love This Pesto Chicken Pasta Salad
Ingredient Notes
Ways To Vary This Recipe
Step-By-Step Instructions
Recipe Tips
Storage
Pesto Chicken Pasta Salad Recipe
Shop This Post

Time to make all of the pasta salads on repeat! And as far as pesto goes, well you could say I have a bit of an obsession, considering I already make this pesto orzo salad and this pesto tortellini pasta salad all the time, ha.

If you love pasta salad recipes too, make sure to try these: Grinder Pasta Salad (my new FAVE!), Tortellini Caprese Salad, Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad, or this Lemon Orzo Salad With Feta.

Why We Love This Pesto Chicken Pasta Salad

Pasta salads are what I LIVE on all summer. I love to eat all of the fresh produce with a bit bowl of pasta, fresh herbs, cheese and more. This pasta salad uses a fresh homemade pesto that adds flavor, texture and is one the whole family will love!

This pesto chicken pasta salad:

has all the fresh flavor of summer
uses simple ingredients
is protein and veggie packed
can easily be varied
doubles as a bbq side dish or a full meal!

Can’t wait to hear what you think!

Ingredient Notes

See full list of ingredients below in recipe card with exact measurements.

Spinach, basil, chicken, pasta and other ingredients for recipe labeled on surface.

Homemade pesto is 100% the way to go if you have a few extra minutes to spare. If you really don’t have the time, you can use store-bought pesto, but opt for the kind in the refrigerated section of the grocery, not the shelf stable type.
Pine nuts can be pricey so you can use walnuts instead for something more affordable. My jaw dropped when I saw how much they were going for recently. Buying in the bulk section is where it’s at!
While the mayonnaise is technically optional, I definitely suggest using it for an added creaminess and it really helps hold the pesto to the pasta and other ingredients. You could sub a bit of Greek yogurt if preferred. Make sure it’s room temperature.
Use chicken you have on hand! We love to make this when I have leftover rotisserie chicken but I have tossed in grilled chicken or whatever chicken I need to use up.
We like rotini pasta or fusilli for this recipe so the pesto really gets into all of the nooks and crannies. You can use your favorite short pasta if preferred. You can also opt to make this pesto tortellini salad instead and add chicken!

Ways To Vary This Recipe

add more veggies: you can add some grilled zucchini, mushrooms, artichokes, etc. I opted to skip red onion in this recipe as I found it to make it a touch too strong, but if that’s something you prefer, toss them in.
add in some other herbs or greens with the pesto: you can mix in some arugula, a touch of parsley, etc. to vary the flavor of the pesto
other possible add-ins: sliced olives, lemon zest, chopped pepperoni, bacon, crushed red pepper, and more!

Step-By-Step Instructions

Basil, garlic, parmesan and other ingredients in food processor.

Step 1: Cook the pasta according to package until almost al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water to keep it from cooking any longer. Set aside. While pasta is cooking, combine pesto ingredients in a food processor (starting with ½ cup of olive oil, you can add more to thin it out).

Step 2: Process until smooth, but some slight graininess remains to add texture. Thin it out with the remaining olive oil to get a bit of a pourable pesto.

Pesto and mayo over top of pasta in bowl with spoons.

Step 3: Toss the pasta with the pesto and the mayonnaise to allow it to coat well.

Pesto tossed with rotini pasta with utensils.

Step 4: If this mixture seems to dry or thick, add an extra drizzle of olive oil or more mayo.

Chicken, mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and other ingredients on top of pesto pasta.

Step 5: Add the remaining salad ingredients to the pasta and toss well.

Chicken pesto pasta salad prepared in bowl.

Step 6: Chill until ready to serve and garnish with chopped basil.

Recipe Tips

For best results, make this the same day you plan to serve it. After a day, the pesto loses color and this chicken pesto pasta salad definitely is not as beautiful–still delicious, so if you aren’t making it for a special occasion, it’s amazing for a couple days after, just if you are planning to make it for a celebration.

Cook the pasta ever so slightly under al dente for the best texture and to prevent it from becoming mushy or soggy in the salad. Running it under cold water helps stop the pasta from cooking anymore.

After chilling, allow the pasta salad to sit out for about 15 minutes to loosen the pesto up a bit as the oil will solidify. You can toss the salad with some extra olive oil or mayo to help get some moisture back as well.

Bowls with pesto pasta salad with chicken and forks.

Storage

Store leftovers for about 3-4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will look the most appealing in the first day, but is still perfectly edible even up to 4 days. Freezing is not recommended.

HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for all the latest!