Summer Pasta Salad
Fresh, cool, and flavorful, this Summer Pasta Salad is loaded with grilled chicken, crisp veggies, tender pasta, and zesty Italian dressing. Perfect for picnics, cookouts, or easy dinners.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 415kcal
Ingredients
Salad
- ½ pound rotini or fusilli pasta
- ½ pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 medium zucchini, diced
- ½ large cucumber, peeled and diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced or a combination of red, yellow and orange bell peppers
- ½ large red or sweet onion, diced
- 2 ounces sliced ripe olives, drained (about 1 small can)
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- ⅓ cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1 cup arugula chopped
- 2 chicken breasts, grilled or rotisserie style, chopped
Dressing
- 8 ounces favorite Italian salad dressing
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon celery seed
- Pinch garlic powder
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to directions on box. Pour into colander, rinse and let drain. Chill pasta for at least 30 minutes before adding to vegetables.
- In a large bowl, combine all vegetables then toss with the chilled pasta. Add chicken and mix well.
- In a small bowl, whisk all dressing ingredients together.
- Pour over pasta salad and toss to coat. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.
- Garnish with fresh basil.
Notes
HOW TO STORE
Place the salad in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 415kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 689mg | Potassium: 721mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1236IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 2mg
