Italian Chicken Pasta Salad is a light and fresh recipe made with Rotini pasta, Rotisserie chicken, and a tangy homemade Italian dressing that will make your mouth water. From start to finish you can have this whipped up and ready to serve in just under 20 minutes. Perfect for a light lunch or dinner!
Looking for something light and crunchy? Check out our healthy chicken salad with apples.
I love to make quick and easy recipes in the Summer. This cold chicken pasta salad is made with rotini pasta, Rotisserie chicken, homemade Italian salad dressing, and more. It’s a quick and easy recipe that is made in just under 20 minutes from start to finish.
What makes this recipe kick is the homemade Italian dressing. There are not enough words to describe the mouthwatering flavors. It’s drool worthy.
My family will destroy this Italian pasta salad every single time we make it. If you are looking for a new quick and easy recipe the whole family will enjoy, you’re going to love this! Even my picky eater will devour everything on her plate.
If you’re in a hurry, you can skip down to the end of this post and click print on the recipe card. It will print this Italian Chicken Pasta Salad recipe and you can check out our notes in the little notes section attached. If you’re not in a hurry, keep reading!
Chicken Pasta Salad Recipe
This is by far one of my favorite quick and easy recipes. It takes a plain pasta salad and turns it into a meal. I love to make this in the Summer when I don’t want to fire up the stove or the grill.
It takes just a little stovetop time to get some al dente pasta and then you’re basically done. Well, almost, just a few more steps!
Ingredients:
- Rotisserie chicken (shredded)
- Rotini pasta (cooked)
- Olive Oil
- White Wine vinegar
- Italian Seasoning
- Avocado
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Fresh Basil
- Lime
- Salt and pepper
How to Make Italian Pasta Salad
- Heat a pot of cold water to boiling.
- While the water is heating up, shred the chicken if not already shredded.
- Add pasta to boiling water and cook pasta as directed. Drain.
- Mix olive oil, White wine vinegar, and Italian seasoning. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine pasta, chicken, diced avocado, sliced tomatoes, and chopped basil. Top with homemade Italian dressing and mix well.
- Squeeze fresh lime juice over salad and sprinkle with salt and pepper lightly before serving.
Chicken and Pasta Variations
If you’re looking to change this recipe up a little, consider these options for your pasta salad ingredients:
- Add diced green bell pepper or red peppers
- Add sliced red onion
- Toss in additional veggies
- Add black olives
- Crumble in cooked bacon
- Add in salami
- Add sliced sweet banana peppers
- Make it with penne pasta or farfalle instead of rotini
- Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese, mozzarella pearls, feta cheese, or fresh mozzarella
You can also use chicken breasts in this recipe if you can’t get a Rotisserie chicken. Just boil two large boneless skinless chicken breasts and then shred them. Easy!
There are so many different ways you can serve this easy pasta salad. It’s one of those recipes I can make as a main dish or a side dish and no one in the family complains about it.
FAQs
This recipe makes a lot. If you are saving and storing leftovers here are a couple of tricks. Squirt extra lime juice on any visible avocado to keep them from browning. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
If you don’t have the ingredients to make the Italian dressing, use an Italian vinaigrette.
Add additional veggies to this recipe such as broccoli or zucchini. Also consider adding in fresh herbs and chopped fresh parsley.
This is the perfect summer recipe and great for large gatherings and potlucks. Every bite is full of flavor.
YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY:
If you love this Italian pasta salad recipe, you might also enjoy these other favorite chicken recipes. Here are a few you might like:
- Healthy Chicken Salad with Apples
- Chicken Caprese
- Sticky Chicken
- Air fryer frozen chicken patties
- Air fryer whole chicken
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Italian Chicken Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken Rotisserie, shredded
- 2 avocado pitted and diced
- 1 lb pasta Rotini
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup basil fresh, chopped
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Italian Dressing
- 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a pot of cold water to boiling.
- While the water is heating up, shred the chicken if not already shredded.
- Add pasta to boiling water and cook the pasta as directed. Drain.
- Mix olive oil, White wine vinegar, and Italian seasoning. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine pasta, chicken, diced avocado, sliced tomatoes, and chopped basil. Top with homemade Italian dressing and mix well.
- Squeeze fresh lime juice over salad and sprinkle with salt and pepper lightly before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is a calculated guesstimate. Please note that this can change with different brands and modifications you may make to the recipe. For the most accurate information, use a nutritional calculator with the exact brands and measurements you’re using with each recipe.
©PinkWhen 2023
