Pesto Pasta Chicken Salad Recipe
A vibrant, protein‑packed salad that blends the nutty flavor of pesto with the hearty bite of lentil pasta and tender chicken. The creamy dressing coats every ingredient, creating a satisfying, low‑carb meal perfect for a quick lunch or light dinner.
Recipe by Yaidy Cohen· Structured by ReelsMeals
From: Instagram(view original)
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About this saved recipe
Ingredients
- to taste garlic powder
- to taste paprika
- to taste rosemary
- to taste dried oregano
Salad
- 8 oz red lentil pasta
- 2 chicken breast
- 1 box cherry tomato
- 1 English cucumber
- 1/4 cup red onion
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley
Creamy Pesto Dressing
- 1/4 cup plain full‑fat Greek yogurt
- 1 1/2 fl oz pesto sauce
- 1 lemon
- 1 fl oz olive oil
- to taste sea salt
- to taste black pepper
Instructions
- 1Season the chicken breasts with garlic powder, paprika, sea salt, black pepper, rosemary, and dried oregano, then pan‑cook over medium heat until fully cooked through, about 6‑8 minutes per side. Let the chicken cool slightly before cutting into bite‑size pieces.
- 2Cook the red lentil pasta according to package directions until al dente, drain, and rinse with cold water. Transfer to a container, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
- 3While the pasta chills, chop the English cucumber, halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the red onion, and finely chop the fresh parsley.
- 4In a large mixing bowl, combine the chilled lentil pasta, chopped chicken, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and parsley. Toss gently to distribute evenly.
- 5Prepare the dressing: in a separate bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, pesto sauce, lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper until smooth and emulsified.
- 6Pour the creamy pesto dressing over the salad and toss thoroughly so every ingredient is coated. Adjust seasoning with additional salt or pepper if needed.
- 7Serve the salad chilled or at room temperature. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Helpful tips while cooking
AI-assisted notes grounded in this recipe's ingredients, timings, and method—not additional creator instructions.
Cool pasta before mixing
After cooking, rinse the lentil pasta with cold water, cover, and refrigerate overnight before adding to the salad.
Season chicken before cooking
Apply garlic powder, paprika, sea salt, black pepper, rosemary, and dried oregano to the chicken breasts before pan‑cooking.
Taste dressing before adding
Whisk the yogurt, pesto, lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper, then adjust seasoning if needed before tossing with the salad.
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This recipe card was structured automatically from the original source. Always check the source for allergens or details the extraction may have missed.
Frequently asked questions
- How long does it take to make Pesto Pasta Chicken Salad?
- About 30 minutes in total: 20 minutes of prep and 10 minutes of cooking.
- How many servings does this Pesto Pasta Chicken Salad recipe make?
- This recipe makes 4 servings as written; ingredient quantities on this page can be scaled.
- Where does this Pesto Pasta Chicken Salad recipe come from?
- It was shared by Yaidy Cohen on instagram.com. ReelsMeals structured the original post into this step-by-step card; the original is linked above.