Go Back
+ servings
close up of a serving dish filled high with pesto pasta salad with chicken. The bowl is surrounded by a white linen, plate of pasta, small bowl of pesto, and jar of pesto.
Print Recipe
5 from 14 votes

Pesto Pasta Salad with Chicken

Pesto pasta salad with chicken is a quick, easy, and wildly flavorful pasta salad recipe! A great option for potlucks, picnics, BBQs, or as a light summer meal.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 Servings
Calories: 519kcal
Author: Meredith

Ingredients

  • 1 lb farfalle (bowtie) pasta
  • 1 lb cooked chicken breast, cubed (grilled, baked, or rotisserie)
  • ¾ C basil pesto (store bought or homemade)
  • ½ C Italian dressing
  • 1+½ C halved cherry tomatoes (from one pint of cherry tomatoes)
  • 3 C spinach, de-stemmed and torn
  • 8 oz fresh mozzarella pearls
  • ¼ C grated parmesan cheese
  • salt to taste
  • pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Cook your pasta according to the package directions. Rinse the pasta with cold water and place it in a large bowl. If you're still chopping the other ingredients, place the bowl of pasta in the fridge to stay cool.
  • While the pasta is cooking, chop the cooked chicken, cherry tomatoes, and spinach.
  • In a 2 cup sized liquid measuring cup, mix together the pesto and Italian dressing.
  • Place all of the ingredients into the large bowl with the pasta, stir to evenly coat the pasta, chicken, mozzarella balls, and veggies.
  • If not enjoying right away, place the pesto chicken pasta salad into the fridge until ready to serve.
  • Store leftover pasta salad in the fridge. Enjoy within 2-3 days.

Notes

Recipe Variations and Substitutions:
  • Make it with more protein. Add more chicken, or use a protein pasta.
  • Add more vegetables: You can increase the amount of tomatoes and/or spinach. You could also mix in some chopped fresh arugula for a little spice and crunch.
  • Include fresh herbs: Fresh basil would be excellent in this summer pasta salad. You could also include some fresh parsley.
  • Add pine nuts: sprinkle some pine nuts on top of your pesto pasta salad with chicken for some added crunch and nuttiness. 
  • Use more parmesan. I’ll never judge you for using more cheese! Mix an additional ¼ cup into the pasta salad, or sprinkle additional on top for serving.
  •  
Dietary Modifications:
This chicken pesto pasta salad recipe can be made gluten free or vegetarian to meet varying dietary needs:
  • Selecting a gluten free pasta will make this into a gluten free pasta salad. If you are serving this chicken pasta salad with pesto to someone with celiac disease, it would also be wise to ensure the Italian dressing and pesto that you use is gluten free (most should be).
  • Make this into a vegetarian pasta salad by eliminating the chicken, or by serving the chicken on the side for people to mix in themselves.
 
Expert Tips:
Cook your pasta to al dente. Since pasta absorbs liquid, cooking it to just al dente will prevent your pasta salad from becoming too soft! Overcooked pasta has the risk of turning to mush after being coated with dressing and mix-ins and sitting in the fridge to cool (or on the potluck table to serve).
Use dried pasta, not fresh. Similar to overcooked pasta, fresh pasta is too delicate for pasta salads. Once covered with dressing and mix-ins, fresh pasta can become soggy. Look for a high-quality dried pasta to use in this pesto caprese pasta salad recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 519kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 758mg | Potassium: 662mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 2266IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 247mg | Iron: 2mg