Pesto Chicken Pasta Salad
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!
Servings: 8
Ingredients
PESTO INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves packed, stems removed
- 1-2 garlic cloves
- 2 Tbsp pine nuts or walnuts
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ - ⅔ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese grated
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp pepper
SALAD INGREDIENTS:
- 12 oz. short pasta rotini, etc.
- 3 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 cups cubed rotisserie chicken (or grilled chicken, etc.)
- 2-3 handfuls baby spinach chopped
- 10 oz grape or cherry tomatoes halved
- 8 oz. mozzarella pearls
- ½- ⅔ cup sun-dried tomatoes in Italian herbs, the kind in oil, optional but strongly suggested
- More chopped basil for garnish
Instructions
- 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
- Combine pesto ingredients in a food processor (starting with ½ cup of olive oil, you can add more to thin it out). 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.
- Toss the pasta with the pesto and the mayonnaise to allow it to coat well. If this mixture seems to dry or thick, add an extra drizzle of olive oil or more mayo.
- Add the remaining salad ingredients to the pasta and toss well.
- Chill until ready to serve and garnish with chopped basil.
Notes
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.
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 488kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 329mg | Potassium: 631mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1263IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 193mg | Iron: 2mg