Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad
This Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad is an old favorite that's perfect as a side or as your main meal! It's a satisfying pasta salad that's packed with chicken and fresh veggies all in a creamy pesto dressing.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 521kcal
Ingredients
Pasta Salad
- 16 oz. penne pasta
- 12 oz. steam in bag fresh green beans
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, grilled and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup roasted red peppers, roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, julienned
Dressing
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. prepared pesto
- 2 Tbsp. distilled white vinegar
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, then rinse under cool water. Drain again, then transfer to large bowl.
- Microwave beans according to package directions. Let cool, then cut each bean in half. Add to pasta along with chicken, tomatoes and red peppers.
- Make dressing: In small bowl, combine all ingredients and whisk together until smooth.
- Add dressing to pasta and toss to coat. Sprinkle with pine nuts and fresh basil.
Notes
Feel free to use fresh green beans instead of the microwave in the bag version. Just cook until crisp and then cut each bean in half.
You can also make homemade roasted red peppers if you'd prefer not to use jarred.
Nutrition
Calories: 521kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 744mg | Potassium: 666mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 755IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 2mg