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This Easy Pasta Salad is loaded with chicken, and veggies, and packed with flavor. This is a quick weeknight dinner recipe to serve your family, ideal to take to parties and picnics, and perfect for meal prepping. A family favorite recipe packed with flavor and so delicious.
A crowd-pleasing classic chicken pasta salad recipe that’s so easy to make and a well-balanced meal that will keep you full and satisfied. It is made with refreshing and nutritious ingredients with the perfect amount of protein.
Made with fresh herbs, pasta, tomatoes, olives, peppers, parmesan cheese, garlic, and chicken, then tossed in a simple homemade pasta salad dressing. This healthy and simple pasta salad recipe is not only a family favorite, but it is also great for those who like to meal prep.
Ingredients you will need
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: you may use chicken thighs
- I used Olive Oil but you may use avocado oil
- Fresh Garlic Cloves, minced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Dry Penne or Fusilli Pasta, use whole grain pasta, or gluten-free
- Chopped Fresh Thyme
- Fresh Chopped Oregano, or dried
- Cherry Tomatoes, halved
- Yellow Bell Pepper, seeds removed, thinly sliced
- Green Olives, sliced in half
- Red Onion, thickly sliced
- Ground Parmesan Cheese
- Arugula, roughly chopped
- White Wine Vinegar
- Honey
- Crushed red pepper flakes
See a full list of ingredients and quantities in the recipe card below!
How to make it
- Mix dressing: In a small bowl, add all the dressing ingredients and whisk until well combined. Set aside.
- Cook Pasta: Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, according to the package
directions. Drain, rinse, and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Set aside. - Cut Chicken: While the pasta is cooking, prepare the chicken. Slice the chicken breasts crosswise to create long (0.5-inch thick) strips.
- Marinate Chicken: In a large bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of olive oil with the thyme, oregano, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add in the chicken pieces and stir to coat.
- Cook Chicken: Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the chicken in a single layer, and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until cooked through and golden on the sides.
- Assemble Pasta Bowl: Transfer the chicken along with any accumulated juices to the pasta bowl. Add the pepper and onion, cherry tomatoes, olives, parmesan, and arugula. Pour over the dressing and toss to combine.
- Season and Serve: Season to taste with more salt and pepper, if necessary, and serve warm or chilled.
Chicken Pasta Salad Dressing
The dressing used for this homemade chicken pasta salad is quite simple. Add the following ingredients in a bowl and mix well to combine before pouring over the salad.
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 tsp honey
1 garlic clove, pressed or minced
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Frequently Asked Questions
A vegetarian pasta salad lasts 4-5 days in the fridge when stored in a tightly sealed container. If your pasta salad has some kind of protein like chicken or fish, like this chicken pasta salad, it should last about 2-3 days to stay on the safe side. Store in an airtight container.
Store your pasta salad in a securely sealed container and freeze for 2-3 weeks. It is before to remove it from the freezer the night before and allow it to thaw in the fridge. Some veggies do not freeze well so expect some of the content of your pasta salad to be a bit soggy.
You may add a variety of sauteed or grilled veggies to your pasta salad. Try asparagus, green beans, corn, or Brussels sprouts. Pasta salads are also great with added protein like chicken, fish, shrimp, tofu, and so on. A few other add-ons to your pasta salad could be: capers, artichoke hearts, olives Cheese, like feta, veggies like peppers, celery, and carrots
Some pasta salads are meant to be served cold. In that case, you can cook the pasta a couple of hours ahead and allow it to cool down before adding in the other ingredients. For this easy chicken pasta recipe, you can serve it either warm or cold.
Recipe Tips
- To make this recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free pasta instead of whole-grain or white pasta.
- Keep it vegetarian by skipping on the chicken.
- You may add some chopped spinach instead of arugula
- Add more fresh herbs like oregano, parsley, sliced green onion, fresh basil, or thyme.
- Consider using Rotisserie Chicken or any chicken leftovers instead of cooking the chicken from scratch.
- Serve this chicken salad as a side dish or main meal.
More Pasta Salads
- Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
- Greek Orzo Salad
- Creamy Tuna Pasta Salad
- Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
- Vegetarian Pasta Salad
- Greek Pasta Salad
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Chicken Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- 1½ tablespoons Olive Oil
- 4 Garlic Clove, minced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 12 ounce Dry Penne or Fusilli Pasta, use whole grain pasta, or gluten-free
- 2-3 tablespoons Chopped Fresh Thyme
- 2 tablespoons Fresh Chopped Oregano, or dried
- 2 Cups Cherry Tomatoes, halved
- 1 Yellow Bell Pepper, seeds removed, thinly sliced
- ½ Cup Green Olives, sliced in half
- 1 medium Red Onion, thickly sliced
- ⅓ Cup Ground Parmesan Cheese
- 3 Cups Packed Arugula, roughly chopped
Dressing
- 4 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoons White Wine Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Honey
- 1 Garlic Cloves, pressed or minced
- Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add all the dressing ingredients and whisk until well combined. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a pot of boiling salted water, according to the package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare the chicken. Slice the chicken breasts crosswise to create long (0.5-inch thick) strips.
- In a mixing bowl, combine 1 tablespoon olive oil with the thyme, oregano, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Add in the chicken pieces and stir to coat. Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the chicken in a single layer, and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until cooked through and golden on the sides.
- Transfer the chicken along with any accumulated juices to the pasta bowl. Add the pepper and onion, cherry tomatoes, olives, parmesan, and arugula.
- Pour over the dressing and toss to combine. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, if necessary, and serve warm or chilled.
Video
Notes
- Any shape or type of pasta. Use whole grain or whole wheat. You may also use lentil pasta.
- Spinach in place of arugula
- Any olives
- Maple syrup in place of honey
- Any tomatoes cut small.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Absolutely love this recipe!!
Thank you. Glad you loved it
So delicious!!
Looks delicious! Could you lost some veggies that don’t freeze well? Thank you!
How much sodium does it have in it?
❤️❤️❤️
I don’t have any honey would syrup substitute?
What kind of syrup? maple syrup is fine
Very flavorful
Thanks Flor
Made this for the first time and my family loved it !!! So much flavor !
So glad you loved it!
Made this for dinner tonight after seeing it on your Instagram and it is SO good. I seriously can’t stop eating it, and it’s not even dinnertime yet! Thank you!
Hi there, I am so glad you liked it! It’s one of our favorites meals
Healthy Fitness Meals is literally the best! I read your blogs every day and think they are amazing. You have helped me so much on my healthy eating journey.
Thank you.