Pesto Pasta Salad with Chicken
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Pesto Pasta Salad is a satisfying fresh summer side, bursting with flavor!!! With grilled chicken, tomatoes, mozzarella, and a homemade fresh basil pesto this recipe is perfect for a summer potluck!
To make this pesto pasta salad recipe you’ll need a fresh basil pesto, cherry tomatoes, grilled chicken, cooked rotini noodles, mozzarella pearls, pine nuts, shredded parmesan cheese, and chopped basil. Toss it all together for your favorite new pasta salad!
Hi guys! It’s Aimee from Like Mother, Like Daughter here again to share this yummy pesto pasta salad with you! This pasta salad is a new favorite of mine and I’m going to be enjoying it all summer long. Its inspired by a favorite pizza I like to get at a local pizza place which is topped with pesto, mozzarella, shredded chicken and cherry tomatoes!
Table of Contents
Pesto Pasta Salad
This pesto pasta salad makes a lot, so it’s perfect for a summer bbq or potluck! You can easily cut the recipe in half though if you don’t want to make as much!
Now that we are ready for warmer weather, I think we’re ready for a summer bbq with this pesto pasta salad, some hawaiian ham kabobs, or some bbq pulled pork! Cool off with these lemon cheesecake bars for dessert!
This cold pesto pasta salad is such a refreshing and flavorful dish! Everyone will love it!
Helpful Tips to make Pesto Pasta Salad:
- Use your favorite store bought pesto instead of homemade pesto to make it quicker to throw everything together.
- Instead of cooking up your own chicken, you can also use a rotisserie chicken! It’s a great way to use up leftover rotisserie chicken meat. Have it for dinner one night, and use the leftovers the next day for this chicken pesto pasta salad!
- This is a great dish to make ahead since it tastes best after everything has set together in the fridge for a couple hours. Make it the night before a bbq so you don’t have to stress about it the day of!
- This pesto pasta salad should stay good in your fridge for about 5 days if it even lasts that long before you eat it all 😉
What you will need to make Pesto Pasta Salad:
- Colander – this kitchen essential makes life so much easier! You can use it to drain pasta or wash veggies and fruit.
- Cutting Board- A big good solid cutting board so you can prep all your veggies on one surface. I use my cutting board daily so it’s worth the investment.
- Quality Knives- Quality knives make prep time much quicker and are important for safety as well. If you make one kitchen investment, I believe it should be in quality knives.
Enjoy!
With love from our simple kitchen to yours.
Get Free Recipes Sent to Your Email
Do you ❤️ TSRI? Don’t miss another recipe!
Subscribe to The Slow Roasted Italian by email to receive new recipes in your inbox!!
Don’t miss a thing! Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram ❤ ❤ ❤
Check out more of our favorite pasta salads:
Hawaiian Tortellini Pasta Salad
Muffaletta Tortellini Pasta Salad
Antipasto Tortellini Pasta Salad
🔥 TSRI’s Sizzlin’ Summer Ebook
Ready to level up your summer cooking? This exclusive collection of 30 reader-favorite recipes is packed with potluck legends, no-bake treats, and BBQ showstoppers.
👉 Snag your copy today and bring the heat to your summer table!
Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 16 ounces rotini pasta
- 12 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts, (about 2 breasts)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, divided
- 1 cup pesto, store bought or homemade, see below
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (about 5 ounces)
- 8 ounces mozzarella pearls
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Fresh Basil Pesto:
- 3 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic, (about 3 cloves)
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- COOK: the pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 16 ounces rotini pasta and cook according to the package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool.
- COOK: the chicken. Pat 12 ounces chicken breasts dry. Season both sides with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium high. Cook for 5 minutes per side, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Rest for 10 minutes, then dice into bite sized pieces.
- MAKE: the pesto. In a food processor, add 3 cups fresh basil, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, ¼ cup pine nuts, ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese, ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper. Blend until mostly smooth.
- TOAST: the pine nuts. Add ½ cup pine nuts to a dry skillet. Cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes, stirring often, until golden and fragrant.
- MIX: the salad. In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta, diced chicken, toasted pine nuts, 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes, 8 ounces mozzarella pearls, ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese, and ¼ cup chopped fresh basil.
- ADD: 1 cup pesto and TOSS until everything is well coated.
- CHILL: for 1 to 2 hours before serving to allow flavors to blend.
Donna’s Notes
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Disclosure: Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link your price will remain the same and The Slow Roasted Italian will automatically receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting us, it helps us keep creating new recipes.
Welcome!
We’re Donna and Chad, the dream team behind The Slow Roasted Italian. Our focus is on taking complicated OUT of the kitchen. Life is busy enough, making meals should be fast and easy, to help make your life as simple as possible. Read More >>
Such a fresh garden taste! A lovely pasta salad. Thank you!