This is a roasted chicken pasta salad dressed with a homemade basil-parsley pesto, finished with fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and arugula. It takes under an hour start to finish, holds up well for packed lunches, and the dressing comes together in a food processor โ no separate sauce pan, no extra cleanup.
Ingredient notes
- Pine nuts: Expensive and easy to burn. Watch them in a dry skillet on medium-low โ they go from pale to scorched in about 30 seconds once they start coloring. Swap in toasted walnuts or slivered almonds if cost is a concern; the flavor shifts slightly but the crunch holds.
- Flat-leaf parsley in the pesto: This isnโt filler. It stretches the basil, keeps the dressing a brighter green after mixing, and softens the bitterness that straight basil can develop once blended. Donโt skip it.
- Fresh mozzarella pearls: Drain them well and pat dry before adding. Excess brine dilutes the dressing and makes the salad watery at the bottom of the bowl.
- Baby arugula: It wilts fast once dressed. Add it last, right before serving.
- Pasta shape: Rotini or fusilli grip the pesto better than farfalle, which has a flat center section that the dressing slides off. Either works, but the spirals give you more dressing per bite.
The technique that matters
The single step that makes or breaks this salad is cooling the pasta properly before dressing it. Hot pasta absorbs liquid fast and unevenly โ toss it with pesto while itโs still warm and youโll end up with a clumped, greasy mass by the time it hits the table. Spread the drained pasta on the sheet pan you already used for the chicken (shake off any drippings first), drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil, toss to coat, and let it cool for 10 minutes. That light oil coating keeps the pieces separate without adding a bowl to the pile. Once the pasta is at room temperature, the pesto dressing clings evenly rather than soaking in and disappearing โ and dress it at the table if youโre serving a crowd, because a pre-dressed salad goes limp fast.
If something goes sideways
- Pesto dressing is too thick to toss: Add cold water one teaspoon at a time and pulse again. The recipe calls for 2 tablespoons, but humidity, basil moisture, and Parmesan grind all affect consistency. You want it pourable, not spreadable.
- Salad tastes flat after refrigerating: Cold mutes salt and acid. Taste it straight from the fridge and add a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt before serving โ this almost always fixes it.
- Chicken is dry after roasting: It likely went past 165ยฐF. Next time pull it at 160ยฐF and let carryover heat finish the job during the 5-minute rest. For this batch, toss the diced pieces with a tablespoon of the pesto dressing immediately โ it re-moistens the surface.
- Arugula has wilted into the salad: Itโs still safe to eat but the texture is gone. If youโre making this ahead, store the arugula separately in a zip-lock with a dry paper towel and fold it in at serving time.
- Pesto turned dark brown: Oxidation from over-processing or heat. Blend in short pulses and keep the food processor lid on between batches. A small squeeze of lemon juice added before blending slows browning. The flavor is usually still fine even when it darkens.
Pesto Chicken Pasta Salad
Equipment
- Rimmed sheet pan
- Large pot
- Colander
- 12-inch skillet
- Food processor
- Large mixing bowl
- Microplane or fine grater
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Instant-read thermometer
- Tongs
Ingredients
Pasta & Chicken
- 1 ยผ lb boneless skinless chicken breasts patted dry
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil for chicken
- 1 ยฝ tsp kosher salt divided (season chicken and dressing)
- ยฝ tsp freshly ground black pepper for chicken
- 1 tbsp kosher salt for pasta water
- 12 oz short dried pasta (rotini, fusilli, or farfalle)
Pesto Dressing
- ยผ cup pine nuts divided; toast first, reserve 1 tbsp for garnish
- 2 cup fresh basil leaves lightly packed
- ยฝ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves lightly packed
- 2 clove garlic smashed
- 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ยฝ cup Parmesan cheese finely grated
- ยฝ cup extra-virgin olive oil for dressing
- 2 tbsp cold water to loosen dressing
- ยผ tsp crushed red pepper flakes optional, for gentle heat
Add-ins & Finish
- 2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes halved
- 1 ยฝ cup English cucumber diced small
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella pearls drained
- 2 cup baby arugula lightly packed
Instructions
Roast the chicken
- Preheat the oven to 400ยฐF / 205ยฐC. Line a rimmed sheet pan.
- Season the chicken with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp kosher salt (from the divided amount), and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Place on the pan, spacing evenly.
- Roast for 20 minutes, or until the thickest part registers 165ยฐF / 74ยฐC on an instant-read thermometer. Rest 5 minutes, then dice into bite-size pieces.
Cook and cool the pasta
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Stir in 1 tbsp kosher salt for the pasta water.
- Add the pasta and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until al dente.
- Drain in a colander, rinse under cool water for 30 seconds to stop the cooking, shake dry, and spread on a tray to steam off and cool while you make the dressing.
Toast the nuts
- In a dry 12-inch skillet over medium heat, toast the pine nuts for 4 minutes, shaking the pan, until glossy and lightly golden. Transfer to a plate to cool; reserve 1 tbsp for garnish.
Make the pesto dressing
- In a food processor, combine basil, parsley, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, Parmesan, 3 tbsp toasted pine nuts, 1/2 tsp of the remaining kosher salt, and red pepper flakes.
- Pulse until finely chopped. With the machine running, stream in 1/2 cup olive oil until emulsified.
- Drizzle in 2 tbsp cold water to loosen to a spoonable consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Assemble the salad
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, diced chicken, tomatoes, cucumber, mozzarella, and half the arugula.
- Add about two-thirds of the pesto dressing and fold gently to coat, adding more dressing as needed until glistening but not soupy.
- Fold in the remaining arugula. Sprinkle with the reserved toasted pine nuts. Serve slightly chilled or at cool room temperature.
Make-ahead and storage
- For best texture, dress just before serving. If preparing ahead, keep components refrigerated separately and toss within 30 minutes of serving.
Notes
Chefโs Tips
- Shock control: A brief cool-water rinse on the pasta halts carryover cooking without washing away too much starch; drying on a tray keeps the dressing clinging rather than slipping.
- Vivid green pesto: Work quickly and add a splash of cold water to fix color and silkiness. If making hours ahead, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to limit oxidation.
- Chicken swap: Leftover grilled chicken or a store-bought rotisserie bird (skin removed) works beautifully; youโll need about 4 cups diced.
- Season in layers: Parmesan is saltyโtaste before adding more kosher salt to the dressing.
- Picnic proof: If transporting, reserve 2โ3 tbsp dressing to refresh the salad just before serving.
Nutrition
Your questions, answered
Can I make this salad the night before?
Yes, with one condition: keep the arugula and cucumber separate until youโre ready to serve. Store the dressed pasta, chicken, tomatoes, and mozzarella together in an airtight container, then fold in the arugula and cucumber just before eating so they stay crisp.
Can I use store-bought pesto instead of making the dressing from scratch?
You can, but thin it out first โ jarred pesto is usually too thick to coat pasta evenly as a salad dressing. Stir in a tablespoon of lemon juice and a tablespoon of olive oil per half cup of pesto, then taste for seasoning before tossing.
What can I use instead of chicken to keep this filling?
The recipe is written with roasted chicken and thatโs what gives it its protein base โ swapping it out changes the dish significantly. If you need to stretch it further, add a drained can of white beans alongside the chicken rather than replacing it.
My pine nuts are already toasted from the store. Do I still need to toast them?
Skip the toasting step if they smell nutty and fresh. If theyโve been sitting in your pantry for a while, a quick 2-minute dry-pan toast will wake up the flavor and is worth the extra minute.
How long does leftover salad keep in the fridge?
Three days is the practical limit, and thatโs assuming the arugula was stored separately. After day three the pasta softens noticeably and the mozzarella starts to break down in texture โ itโs still safe but the quality drops.