Chicken Pasta Salad

This chicken pasta salad is grilled chicken with olives, cheese and fresh vegetables, all tossed in a homemade Italian dressing. A light and refreshing side dish or main course option that's perfect for feeding a crowd!

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Total Time 40

Servings servings

Calories 341kcal

Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

For the salad

1 pound rotini pasta
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup cucumber quartered and sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
1/4 cup red onion thinly sliced
1/2 cup kalamata olives halved
3/4 cup small mozzarella balls halved
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves finely chopped
1 1/4 cups homemade or store bought Italian dressing dressing recipe follows
salt and pepper to taste

For the dressing

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon fresh red bell pepper finely minced
1 1/2 teaspoons minced dried onion
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
pinch crushed red pepper flakes optional

Instructions

For the salad

Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium high heat. Drizzle the tablespoon of olive oil over the chicken breasts and sprinkle with Italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste.
Place the chicken on the grill. Cook for 5-6 minutes per side or until done. Let cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bite sized pieces.
Cook the rotini in salted water according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cool water.

For the dressing

Combine all of the ingredients in a jar or bowl. Whisk if using a bowl, or shake vigorously in a jar to combine. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

For assembly

Place the pasta in a large bowl and add the chicken, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, kalamata olives, mozzarella balls and parsley. Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for later use.

Video

Notes

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.
Chicken pasta salad will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing pasta salad.
You can make the Italian dressing 2 days before you plan to use it. Want to save on prep time? Buy a bottle of high quality prepared Italian dressing instead of making your own.

Nutrition