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Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad
This Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad is healthy, satisfying, and 200% delicious. It'll take center stage at any picnic, potluck, or cookout.
👥 8 Servings⏱️ Prep & Cook: 35 min⏳ Prep: 35 min👤 Amy Dong📖 chewoutloud
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- pan
- pot
- blender
- food processor
📝 Preparation Steps
1
Grill
2
Sprinkle a light layer of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper over both sides of towel-dried chicken breasts.
kosher saltfreshly ground black pepper
3
Grill over medium high heat either on a well-greased indoor grill pan or outdoor grill, about ⏱️ 4-6 min per side depending on thickness. Remove from heat and set aside.
4
Boil
5
Bring a large, heavy pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta until tender, according to package instructions.
dried pasta (fusilli, rotini, shells, etc. all work well)1 lb
6
Drain and rinse pasta with cool water; drain again but leave pasta slightly wet (helps with loosening the pest sauce when tossed.
dried pasta (fusilli, rotini, shells, etc. all work well)1 lb
7
Make Pesto
8
While waiting for water to boil and pasta to cook, make the pesto. In a food processor or very powerful blender, add the olive oil, basil, nuts, parmesan, lemon juice, garlic, 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt, and 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Process until smooth and creamy.
dried pasta (fusilli, rotini, shells, etc. all work well)1 lbkosher saltfreshly ground black pepper
9
Assemble
10
If needed, rinse cooked pasta again to loosen. Combine pasta with pesto sauce, tossing to combine well.
dried pasta (fusilli, rotini, shells, etc. all work well)1 lb
11
Slice grilled chicken and add to pasta. Add tomatoes and arugula just before serving. If needed, add kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Sprinkle with additional parmesan for garnish. Serve.
dried pasta (fusilli, rotini, shells, etc. all work well)1 lbkosher salt
Nutrition Facts
calories
496 kcal
fat Content
27 g
serving Size
1 serving
fiber Content
3 g
sugar Content
3 g
sodium Content
144 mg
protein Content
18 g
trans Fat Content
0.004 g
cholesterol Content
22 mg
carbohydrate Content
46 g
saturated Fat Content
4 g
unsaturated Fat Content
21 g
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