Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad

Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad combines campanelle pasta, diced chicken, fresh tomatoes, and diced mozzarella, all tossed in a tasty homemade pesto sauce. Serve it as a main dish or make it for an easy side dish! 

You’ll find me eating pasta salad on repeat all through the summer. If I don’t have to heat up my oven, I call it a win! This Pesto Chicken Pasta Salad is so light and refreshing, and you can make it vegetarian by leaving out the chicken. Bring it to all your potlucks and picnics all season long.

Sure, you can use store-bought pesto from the grocery store, but it’s surprisingly easy to make on your own. I use this recipe from Michelle at Brown Eyed Baker as inspiration for my own, and it’s delicious!

Ingredients for Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad

This easy pasta salad only needs a handful of fresh, simple ingredients. Here’s what I put in my salad:

• Campanelle pasta
• Chicken breasts, seasoned, cooked, and diced
• Red cherry tomatoes
• Yellow tomatoes
• Fresh mozzarella pearls, or cut a block into bite-sized pieces
• Fresh basil leaves

For the Fresh Pesto Sauce

• Fresh basil
• Chopped walnuts (or pine nuts)
• Minced garlic
• Romano cheese (or Parmesan cheese)
• Olive oil

See the printable recipe card below for a detailed list of ingredients, including amounts!

How to Make Pesto Pasta Salad With Chicken 

This pasta salad comes together with only a few simple steps. Here’s how to make it:

1. Pasta: First, I cook pasta according to the package instructions just beyond “al dente”. Pasta will firm up as it cools, so it helps when it’s nice and soft when warm. I drain it and set it aside. 
2. Pesto: Next, I make the pesto sauce. I place the basil, chopped walnuts, and minced garlic in a food processor or high-speed blender and pulse it 5-7 times. Then I leave it running on low while slowly adding the olive oil. Finally, I stop the blender, add the cheese, scrape down the sides, then pulse a few more times to blend everything together completely.
3. Assemble: In a large bowl, I combine the pasta, cooked chicken, tomatoes, and mozzarella and give it a good stir to mix it up. Then I pour the pesto over the contents of the bowl and toss gently to coat. I sprinkle a little more fresh basil on top, then serve and enjoy!

FAQs

What substitutions and variations are popular in this Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad?

• Use penne, rotini, cavatappi, or fusilli pasta instead of the campanelle. Use a gluten-free pasta if desired.
• Substitute pine nuts or almonds for the walnuts in the pesto sauce.
• Use Parmesan or Parmigiano-Reggiano instead of the Romano cheese
• Add some extra greens like arugula or baby spinach!
• Add olives or sun-dried tomatoes.
• Fry up some bacon, chop it up on a cutting board, and add it at the end for a little crunch.

What chicken should I use for this salad?

This is a great recipe to use up leftover boneless skinless chicken breasts. You can also use leftover rotisserie chicken or any other leftover chicken you might have. Or leave it out altogether.

Can I make Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad ahead of time?

Yes you can! I like to make it and let it chill overnight so the flavors really have time to develop. However, you can make it up to 2 days in advance. Just know, the longer you let it sit, the dryer it may become, as the pasta absorbs the dressing.

How do I store it?

Store the pesto chicken pasta salad leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. It is perfect for meal prepping if you want to separate it into individual portions, too!

What if I don’t have a food processor?

You can make the pesto sauce using an immersion blender (or stick blender), or put it in a regular blender. Add a splash of lemon juice if you’re not going to use the sauce right away to help keep it fresh!

Can I use grape tomatoes in this recipe?

Yes, grape tomatoes are perfect for salads! Cherry tomatoes are a little sweeter and juicier, but either variety will work.

More Pasta Salads To Make

If you enjoy pasta salads as much as I do, you’ll definitely want to bring one of these to your BBQs this summer:

• Summertime calls for refreshing and effortless meals that capture the vibrant flavors of the season, and nothing embodies this better than a classic Italian Pasta Salad. Combining the simplicity of pasta with a medley of fresh veggies and zesty herbs, this dish is my go-to for warm days. Make this quick and delicious dish that will become a staple for easy summer meals!
• Sausage Veggie Pasta Salad – a Suddenly Salad pasta salad made bigger with great ingredients like Hillshire Farms American Craft Smoky Bourbon Sausage and fresh vegetables, all covered in a tasty dressing.
• This super-easy Ranch BLT Pasta Salad is a great side dish or main dish recipe. It’s made with Marie’s Creamy Ranch Dressing, rotini pasta, crumbled bacon, cherry tomatoes, red onion, orange pepper, and romaine lettuce. This ranch salad might just make a regular appearance on your menu, especially when warmer temperatures roll around.
• Greek Tortellini Pasta Salad combines cheesy pasta with crisp, fresh veggies! Tossed with a homemade Greek dressing, this refreshing side dish makes a perfect picnic food!
• Southwest Pasta Salad – pasta combined with fresh vegetables and tossed with a homemade vinaigrette. It’s cool, delicious, and a perfect dish for a hot summer’s day!

Did you make this Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad? Let me know how you liked it in the comments, or leave a recipe review below!

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