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Pesto Chicken Pasta Salad - Fresh, Bright, and Perfect for Any Day

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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 12 ounces short pasta (fusilli, farfalle, rotini, or penne)
  • 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or cubed (grilled, poached, or rotisserie)
  • 1 cup basil pesto (store-bought or homemade)
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup cucumber, diced (Persian or English works best)
  • 1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, sliced (optional but great)
  • 1/2 cup olives, sliced (Kalamata or green)
  • 1/2 cup mozzarella pearls or diced fresh mozzarella
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
  • 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds (optional for crunch)
  • 1 lemon (zest and juice)
  • 2–3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • Fresh basil, torn, for garnish

Method
 

  1. Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until just al dente. Drain well and spread on a sheet pan to cool slightly, then drizzle with a bit of olive oil to prevent sticking.
  2. Prep the chicken: If using rotisserie, remove skin and bones, then shred or cube. For grilled or poached chicken, season lightly and let it cool before dicing. You want bite-size pieces.
  3. Chop the veggies: Halve the tomatoes, dice the cucumber, slice the onion, and slice the roasted red peppers and olives. Keep everything roughly the same size for easy eating.
  4. Make the dressing base: In a large bowl, whisk the pesto with lemon zest and juice. Add 1–2 tablespoons of olive oil to loosen it. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
  5. Toss the pasta: Add the slightly warm pasta to the bowl and toss to coat. Warm pasta absorbs flavor better, so don’t chill it completely first.
  6. Add chicken and mix-ins: Fold in the chicken, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, roasted red peppers, olives, and mozzarella. Sprinkle in the Parmesan and toss again until everything is evenly coated.
  7. Adjust and brighten: If it looks dry, add another spoonful of pesto or a drizzle of olive oil. Squeeze a bit more lemon if needed. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.
  8. Finish and serve: Top with toasted pine nuts and torn basil. Serve right away slightly warm, or chill for at least 30 minutes for a colder salad with melded flavors.