Grilled Chicken Pasta Salad

It’s pasta salad season, and I’m not sad about that! It’s a one-dish meal. What could be better in the summer when you want to spend more time out than in than a pasta salad full of protein and veggies, ready and waiting for you in the refrigerator?  

Why this pasta salad is the best!

Summer is always highly anticipated, but then when it hits, it can be quite a bit like a wrecking ball swinging this way and that crashing into our lives, leaving us strewn everywhere.  However, not beaten and bruised, mind you, but enjoying all that Summer has to offer. Beaches, books, taco tours, the pool,  bonfires, overnight guests,  farmers markets, kids’ sports, college visits, and weekend getaways are clamoring for our attention!  Not to mention trying to get a meal on the table. The best things about this salad are its simplicity and how you can use leftovers to make it! This hack is a lifesaver. I call it over cooking, as in cooking too much and then using the leftovers to make another meal. Let me give you an example: friends are coming over for a cookout. You’re making grilled chicken and a salad, or fajitas, which requires the same ingredients in this salad but with different flavors. Grill extra chicken and set it aside. At the same time, cut peppers and onions for the fajitas, cut extra for this easy pasta salad recipe, and set aside. Yes, it takes some forethought, but once you get the hang of thinking about how to take one meal and roll it into another, you will not be able to stop. So now, let’s make this yummy salad! This over cooking hack has been a lifesaver!

Gather these ingredients

Lets make this easy pasta salad!

First, fill a large pot with water and add salt, at least a tablespoon. While the water is coming to a boil, cut chicken breasts into small cubes and place them in a large bowl. Prep peppers and onion at this time as well. Once the water comes to a boil, add pasta shells and cook a minute less than the box suggests. You want your pasta to be al dente, with a bite. Squishy pasta is bad, very bad. 

Add the ingredients for the dressing to a large measuring cup or small bowl: mayonnaise, stone-ground mustard, celery seed, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and white wine vinegar. 

Whisk the salad dressing ingredients together until smooth. Taste and add more salt or pepper if necessary. 

Add salad dressing to the pasta salad ingredients. Be sure to scrape every last bit of dressing out of the bowl, then be kind to yourself and lick the spoon.

Mix the salad ingredients together with a large spatula. If there seems to be too much dressing, do not worry —after the salad sits in the refrigerator for a little while, it will soak into the pasta. 

Tips & FAQ’s

• How do you season chicken for grilling? For this particular salad, I drizzle the chicken with olive oil, sprinkle it with Mortons Nature Seasoning Salt, and let it rest outside the refrigerator for at least half an hour before grilling. 
• Is this a main dish or a side dish? When should I serve this? This pasta salad can be either. It is excellent on its own for a lunch menu. We honestly store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator just to have on hand. When people get hungry, they can help themselves to this hearty pasta salad. I guess you could say it’s a light meal. 
• What other veggies would be good in this pasta salad? This salad lends itself to just about any vegetable you would want to add. I have added a can of artichoke hearts, chopped into smaller pieces. Cherry tomatoes are perfect in this pasta salad. You could add Parmesan cheese or grated parmesan-reggiano. Get creative! Let me know how it turned out in the comment section below. 
• TIP 1: Do not overcook your chicken. Using over-grilled dried-out chicken even though you are covering it with a dressing is not a great idea. Use a meat thermometer when grilling and grill chicken breasts to an internal temp of 160-165 degrees F. Remove the chicken from the grill and cover it with aluminum foil. This will allow the chicken to continue cooking, which is called carry-over cooking. Do not cut into the chicken breast until it has rested for at least ten minutes.
• TIP 2: Allow ingredients to cool completely before placing salad in the refrigerator. Pasta salad is best when it has had time to marinate in the dressing and get cold in the fridge.
• TIP 3: Trying to capitalize on getting more protein in your diet? Add more chicken and use a protein pasta; some great options exist. 

XO, Sheila

This pasta salad is loved by my whole family. When I make it, it never lasts long. I do try to mix it up with a few different veggies now and then, but honestly, this version is everyone’s favorite! Please take a moment and rate the recipe below in the recipe card, it just takes a few second. Also if you could be so kind as to PIN it, and share it on your social media tagging Eat2gather.net .Thank you so much! XO Sheila

More salads from Eat2gather

• Pesto Caprese Pasta Salad
• Mediterranean Coucous Salad
• The Best Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
• Whole Grain Farro Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing
• Michigan Cherry Chicken Salad Recipe

Grilled Chicken Pasta Salad

Sheila

This recipe is perfect for a potluck, or to keep on hand for a quick lunch option. Nothing complicated here only simply delicious!

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Cook ModePrevent your screen from going to sleep

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course easy dinner

Cuisine American

Servings 8 servings

Calories 505 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 pound shell pasta
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts grilled
• 1 whole red bell pepper see directions for cutting instructions
• 1 whole green pepper see directions for cutting instructions
• 1/4 cup red onion finely chopped

Dressing

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup stoneground mustard
• 1 1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp celery salt
• 1/8 tsp a pinch of ground rosemary
• 1/8 tsp a dash of Garlic Powder

Instructions

 

• Bring salted water to a boil in a 6 quart pot, add pasta and cook for 7 minutes, drain, and set aside to cool.
• Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper and grill until done, allow to cool then slice thin on a diagonal and cut through once. Set aside.
• Wash peppers, cut in half, cut out seeds and stem. Cut one half of each pepper into long thin strips; finely chop the second half of each pepper.
• Whisk together dressing ingredients.
• Combine pasta, chicken, peppers, onion and dressing. Mix until all ingredients are covered with dressing. Place in refrigerator for 1 hour before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 2cupsCalories: 505kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 26gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 13gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 66mgSodium: 439mgPotassium: 467mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 54IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 25mgIron: 1mg

Keyword chicken, easy dinner, pasta, salad

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