We all deserve easy and healthy lunch options that actually taste delicious, and this is one to save! Chicken pesto pasta salad with the perfect creamy dressing is nutritionally balanced, super satisfying, and a staple in my lunch rotation as a Registered Dietitian.
It’s pasta for lunch – but high in protein, rich in fiber, and dietitian-designed to leave you feeling fuelled and energized. Save this delicious lunch recipe for your next meal prep.
Need more healthy but filling salads? Try my caesar pasta salad, quinoa edamame salad, or Italian grinder bean salad.
Healthy, delicious and very filling and the whole family loved it for our lunch!
Recipe Highlights
- Super satisfying: With pasta, a crave-worthy pesto dressing, and fresh bocconcini, lunch can’t get much tastier than this.
- Ready in under 30-minutes: Prep lunch for the entire week in only half an hour.
- Veggies made delicious: As a dietitian, I know eating veggies isn’t always appetizing. That’s why this recipe prioritizes taste and satisfaction so you can actually feel excited to eat a healthy lunch and get more veggies in your day.
- Customizable: Add or swap veggies, use a different protein, try different cheeses or beans, and make this pasta salad your own.
Need more meal prep lunches? Try my Greek bean salad, jalapeno popper chicken salad, or perfect meal prep chicken thighs.
Key Ingredients And Swaps
- Pesto: You’ll use store-bought pesto as the base for the creamy pesto dressing. I recommend finding a refrigerated pesto instead of the shelf-shable kind in a jar since it tastes fresher. If you love pesto, try my pesto egg salad and pesto orzo salad too!
- Parmesan: I prefer freshly grated parmesan instead of the powdered parmesan you can find at the deli, but both will work.
- Mayonnaise and Greek yogurt: The creamy pesto dressing uses a mix of mayo and Greek yogurt for some richness without too many added calories. Feel free to use all Greek yogurt if you want a lower calorie dressing.
- Pasta: For pasta salad, I like a protein pasta like Catelli Protein+ or Barilla Protein+. They have extra protein and fiber, but still hold their structure and shape. You can also use regular white or whole wheat pasta. My other favorite pasta salad is this creamy caesar pasta salad.
- Rotisserie chicken: I like using diced rotisserie chicken because it’s super easy and very flavorful. You can prep your own chicken breast or chicken thighs if preferred.
- Bocconcini pearls: You can use any type of bocconcini or fresh mozzarella, just make sure it’s cubed nice and small if needed. I like using mini bocconcini pearls to save time.
Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed recipe and full ingredients list.
How To Make Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad
- Whisk dressing in a small bowl.
- Add all ingredients for pasta salad to a large mixing bowl, and add dressing.
- Toss and enjoy!
Miranda’s Tips
Tips From My Test Kitchen
- Use a good, refrigerated pesto. Have you ever tasted the difference between refrigerated pesto and the shelf-stable kind from a jar? It’s major! If possible, head to the deli section of your local grocery store, and look for fresh, refrigerated pesto for the best flavor.
- Play with veggies. I like the combination of fresh arugula, juicy cherry tomatoes, and briny artichoke hearts – but the beauty of this recipe is that you can make it your own. Add or swap veggies to customize, like thinly sliced red onion, pitted olives, baby spinach, roasted red peppers, or diced cucumber.
- Rinse your noodles: Rinse pasta in cold water right after cooking to prevent the noodles from sticking together.
Did you know that cooked and cooled starches like pasta develop resistant starch? This acts like fiber in your gut to help support your gut microbiome and support more stable blood sugars!
Common Questions
Toss your pasta salad in dressing as instructed. Then, cover and store in the fridge for up to four days. You can store in a large container and scoop out portions each day, or keep it stored in single-serve containers for a quick, grab-and-go lunch.
More Filling Salad Recipes
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Quinoa and Arugula Salad With Honey Jalapeño Dressing
Cilantro Lime Pasta Salad
Chickpea Cucumber Feta Salad
Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad
Equipment
- small bowl or jar
Ingredients
Creamy Pesto Dressing
- ⅓ cup pesto, store-bought
- ⅓ cup finely grated parmesan, I recommend freshly grated and not the powdered deli parmesan
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 Tbsp mayonnaise, use light if desired
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ tsp salt, adjust to taste
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 Tbsp water to thin, optional
Pasta Salad
- 5 cups cooked and cooled pasta, I prefer protein pasta
- 2 cups diced rotisserie chicken, skin and bones removed
- 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped small
- 1 cup mini bocconcini pearls, drained
- 2 handfuls baby arugula
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Make dressing: In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together all ingredients for the creamy pesto dressing except water, until smooth and combined. Taste, and adjust salt or lemon juice as desired. Add water as needed to thin your dressing.
- Assemble salad and add dressing: Add all ingredients for pasta salad to your large mixing bowl. Pour dressing over top, and toss until coated and combined.
- Store: Store your chicken pesto pasta salad in the fridge (covered) for up to four days. Toss before serving in case any dressing falls to the bottom, and enjoy cold.
Notes
- I recommend using short pasta noodles like penne, rotini, fusilli, or bow-tie.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Wow!! This pasta salad is delicious!!! I added rotisserie chicken and cucumbers, yum! A healthy filling lunch!!
are the calories for the whole meal or per serving?
Per serving!
Healthy, delicious and very filling and the whole family loved it for our lunch!