Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad
This simple pesto pasta salad is made with chunks of chicken, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, mini mozzarella balls, and tossed in basil pesto and lemon juice.
Servings: 5 servings
Ingredients
- 8 ounces fusilli pasta cavatappi, bow-ties, or other short pasta
- 2 cups diced cooked chicken
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella pearls drained
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/2 cup diced roasted red peppers
- 1/2 cup chopped marinated artichoke hearts
- 1/4 cup diced red onion
- 1/2 cup basil pesto
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta until it's al dente. Drain and rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking process. Pour it into a large mixing bowl or serving bowl.
- Add the diced chicken, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, mozzarella pearls, tomatoes and onion in with the pasta. Gently toss everything together.
- Add the pesto and lemon juice in with the pasta mixture. Use a rubber spatula to gently stir everything together until it's coated in the pesto. Taste for seasoning and add a pinch of salt and extra lemon juice or pesto if needed.
- Garnish with fresh basil if desired. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 516kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 767mg | Potassium: 450mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1076IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 305mg | Iron: 2mg