Easy Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad (25-Minutes)
A quick and delicious Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad packed with tender chicken, fresh vegetables, and flavorful pesto. Perfect for a light lunch or side dish.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Boiling, Mixing
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Low Lactose
Ingredients
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- 2 cups cooked pasta (rotini or penne)
- 1 cup cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup cucumber, diced
- 1/4 cup black olives, sliced
- 1/2 cup mozzarella balls or cubed mozzarella
- 1/3 cup basil pesto
- 1 tbsp olive oil (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh basil leaves for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain and let it cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked pasta, chicken, cherry tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, black olives, and mozzarella.
- Add the basil pesto and olive oil, then toss everything until well coated.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Chill in the fridge for 10–15 minutes before serving, if desired.
- Garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve.
Notes
- You can use store-bought or homemade pesto.
- Grilled or rotisserie chicken works great in this recipe.
- Substitute any veggies of your choice.
- Can be made a day ahead for best flavor blending.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 410mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 55mg