Description
This Summery Chicken Pasta Salad is a refreshing and satisfying dish perfect for warm weather. Packed with vibrant flavors and textures, it’s great for picnics, potlucks, or a quick weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Dressing:
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 Tbsp dried dill
- 2 tsp minced garlic (2 cloves)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Salad:
- 2 ears fresh yellow corn
- 16 oz mini bow tie pasta
- 12 slices (12 oz) bacon, cooked, drained and chopped
- 12 oz. grape tomatoes, halved
- 8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
- 1 1/2 cups chopped English cucumber (about 3/4 of one medium)
- 1 cup chopped green onions (about 5)
- 3 1/2 cups cooked shredded rotisserie chicken, chilled
- 1/4 cup pasta water, or more as needed
Instructions
- Dressing: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, mayonnaise, lemon juice, parsley, dill, garlic, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Corn: Boil corn for 4 minutes, then cut kernels from cobs.
- Pasta: Cook pasta in salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
- Assembly: Combine pasta, corn, bacon, tomatoes, cheese, cucumber, green onions, and chicken in a large bowl.
- Dressing: Pour dressing over the salad, add pasta water, toss to coat. Adjust seasoning if needed.
- Chill: Let salad sit in the fridge for 1-2 hours to meld flavors, or serve immediately.
Notes
- You can customize this salad by adding or substituting your favorite vegetables or proteins.
- For a lighter option, you can use Greek yogurt in place of mayonnaise.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Mixing, Boiling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 570mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
Keywords: Chicken Pasta Salad, Summer Salad, Picnic Recipe, Easy Pasta Salad
