pesto chicken pasta salad
Tender white chicken morsels, fresh veggies, and black olives all wrapped in a flavorful pesto sauce. This easy-to-make pasta salad is perfect for a summer BBQ or picnic.
Prep
: 10
Total
: 25 minutes
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 2 breasts boneless, skinless chicken breasts cooked and diced
- 12 ounces colored rotini pasta
- 1 head broccoli chopped into florets
- 0.5 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 5 tablespoons fresh basil chopped
- 6 tablespoons pesto
- 12 olives pitted black olives
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 0.25 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Preparation Steps
- Cook pasta according to package directions. During the last 4 minutes of cooking time, add in the broccoli to the pot. Drain. Add to a large bowl.
- Add cooked chicken, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, pitted black olives, pesto, salt, and pepper to the bowl with the pasta and broccoli. Stir gently to combine all ingredients.
- Store the pesto chicken pasta salad in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld. Serve chilled.
Notes
This salad can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Adjust the amount of pesto to your taste preference. For extra flavor, you can toast some pine nuts and sprinkle them on top before serving.