Italian Chicken Pasta Salad (with Cooking Video)

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This Italian Chicken Pasta Salad with grilled chicken and zesty Italian dressing has great flavor and is easy to make on a hot summer day!

I have been making this simple pasta salad for my family for years.

Easy Italian Chicken Pasta salad - a great summer meal you can make ahead.

Make it ahead and stick it in the fridge when you have a busy day. It will be chilled and waiting for you when you come home famished!

To make this recipe you will need:

  • rotini or similar pasta
  • boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into thin filets)
  • Italian salad dressing
  • carrots
  • shredded Parmesan cheese
  • sliced olives (optional)
  • ziplock bag
  • large pot of boiling water
  • colander
  • grill
  • mixing bowl

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Easy Italian Chicken Pasta salad - a great summer meal you can make ahead.

Watch me make this recipe in the video below:

To begin, start a pot of water to cook a pound of rotini or similar pasta according to package directions.

pasta cooking in a large green pot

Meanwhile, place the chicken in a Ziplock bag with 1/4 cup of Italian dressing. Set that in the fridge to chill for a bit.

NOTE: If you’re cooking the chicken right away, you can simply brush the dressing onto the chicken as you grill it. I like to let it marinate for an hour or so – if I have the time to do so.

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When the pasta is done cooking, drain the pasta in a colander, then run cold water over the pasta to cool it quickly. I stir it while I do this to get the pasta cooled all the way through.

Drain it well and place the pasta in a mixing bowl. Add shredded carrots, parmesan cheese, and dressing to the pasta. Add in the chicken, along with additional Italian salad dressing. Give it all a stir.

pasta salad in the process of being made in a large mixing bowl

If you like, you can add some sliced olives. This is a newer addition that I have started adding and we love it that way.

Grill your chicken over medium heat until it is cooked through. This will only take 2-3 minutes per side.

chicken cooking on a grill

Let the chicken cool, then cut it into bite sized pieces and add it to the pasta mixture.

grilled chicken on a cutting board with knife and fork

Serve it now, or refrigerate to chill it all the way through and serve later.

Enjoy!

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Easy Italian Chicken Pasta salad - a great summer meal you can make ahead.
Easy Italian Chicken Pasta salad - a great summer meal you can make ahead.
Easy Italian Chicken Pasta salad - a great summer meal you can make ahead.

Italian Chicken Pasta Salad

Constance Smith – Cosmopolitan Cornbread
Enjoy this chicken pasta salad any night of the week. It also makes a great potluck or picnic dish!
5 from 4 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Entrées – Main Dishes
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Calories 373 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb rotini or ruffled pasta
  • 1 lb chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, thin cut
  • ¼ c Italian salad dressing
  • 2/3 c Italian salad dressing
  • 2 carrots, trimmed & shredded
  • ½ c shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 c olives, sliced (optional)

Instructions
 

  • To begin, start a pot of water to cook a pound of rotini or ruffled pasta according to package directions.
  • Meanwhile, place the chicken in a ziplock bag with 1/4 cup of Italian dressing. Set that in the fridge to chill for a bit. NOTE: If you’re cooking the chicken right away, you can simply brush the dressing onto the chicken as you grill it. I like to let it marinate for an hour or so – if I have the time to do so.
  • When the pasta is done cooking, drain the pasta in a colander, then run cold water over the pasta to cool it quickly. I stir it while I do this to get the pasta cooled all the way through.
  • Drain it well and place the pasta in a mixing bowl. Add shredded carrots, parmesan cheese, and dressing to the pasta. Add in the chicken, along with additional Italian salad dressing. Give it all a stir.
  • If you like, you can add some sliced olives. This is a newer addition that I have started adding and we love it that way.
  • Grill your chicken over medium heat, until it is cooked through. This will only take 2-3 minutes per side. Let the chicken cool, then cut it into bite sized pieces and add it to the pasta mixture.
  • Serve it now, or refrigerate to chill it all the way through and serve later.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

If the pasta becomes a little dry as it chills, simply add a little more dressing and stir it in.

Nutrition

Calories: 373kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 32gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 69mgSodium: 440mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4g

Nutritional information is auto-generated and the accuracy is not guaranteed.

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