Looking for some healthy meal inspiration? You have to try this Gluten-Free Chicken Parmesan Pasta Salad! It's everything you know and love about chicken parmesan, but lightened up, tossed with fresh arugula, grape tomatoes, and served with a gluten-free pasta.

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• Why I love this recipe
• 🍴Ingredient Notes
• 🍴Step by Step Instructions
• Helpful Tips
• How to store leftovers
• Recipe
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• 💬 Reviews

Why I love this recipe

I grew up in an Italian family, so chicken parmesan was frequently on the menu. It's traditionally made by frying chicken cutlets in oil, and baking them with sauce and a generous amount of cheese. Once it's baked, the chicken is served over pasta.

I thought this traditional dish needed a little upgrade, so I combined my favorite elements of Chicken Parmesan with some extra vegetables to lighten it up. This version is much more "gut friendly." The chicken is breaded with grain-free flours, fried with minimal oil, and tossed in a no sugar added sauce. You can top it with some dairy-free cheese, but I actually skipped the cheese altogether! This family friendly dish is light, fresh, and full of flavor!

🍴Ingredient Notes

• Gluten-Free Pasta - I used Jovial brown rice Fusilli. You can also use penne or bow ties!
• Arugula - Arugula has a little peppery kick, and I love the way it tastes with this pasta salad! Feel free to add as much as you'd like.
• Tomato Sauce - I used a jarred sauce from Primal Kitchen, but any tomato sauce will work! (Homemade or jarred.)
• Grape Tomatoes - Cut in half.
• Fresh Basil - Chopped. Feel free to use as much as you'd like!
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil - What Italian style dish is complete without olive oil? It adds a nice flavor to this salad, and keeps the pasta from sticking! Use a generous amount.
• Chicken Breast - I used chicken tenders because they cook faster, but any chicken breast will work for this recipe. Whenever I purchase meat, I try to find the highest quality. Butcher Box and Bell & Evans are my favorite brands.
• Eggs - The eggs help to bind the breading mixture together - you can not skip this ingredient!
• Cassava Flour - If you're not familiar with cassava flour, it's a great gluten-free flour alternative! It has a very light, powdery texture, and it’s made from Yuca. You can find it on amazon, or at most natural markets. (Whole Foods!)
• Coconut Flour - Coconut flour is one of my favorite grain free flours - especially for savory recipes! You really can't taste the coconut flavor. It works very well with cassava flour to make a nice breading consistency.

🍴Step by Step Instructions

Chicken Cutlets

1. Place a large non-stick frying pan on medium high heat. Add a little oil to the pan - coconut oil, olive oil, or avocado oil will work! (You only need about 1-2 tablespoons of oil.)
2. To prepare the breading, whisk together the cassava flour, coconut flour, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs.
4. Then, dip a piece of chicken into the egg wash, into the flour mixture, back into the egg wash, and back into the flour mixture. Place the chicken into the pre-heated frying pan. Repeat for each piece of chicken.
5. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side if you're using small pieces of chicken. If you're using thicker chicken breast, it will take closer to 8 minutes on each side. (The bottom should be golden brown.) Place them on a plate to rest while you prepare the rest of the salad.

Pasta

1. Boil water in a medium sized pot for the pasta. Once it's boiling add a generous amount of salt, and pour in the pasta.
2. Cook according to the box directions - usually I like my pasta al dente, but for pasta salad you can cook it a little longer so it's soft.
3. Drain the pasta, and add it back into the pot. Stir in some olive oil so it doesn't stick.

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Assembling the Pasta Salad

1. Add cooked pasta, arugula, chopped basil, and grape tomatoes into a large bowl. Toss with a drizzle of olive oil.
2. In a separate bowl, chop the chicken cutlets into small pieces, and toss in tomato sauce until full coated.
3. Finally, add the chicken on top of the pasta salad, and serve warm! (It can also be served chilled.)

Helpful Tips

• I usually make extra chicken cutlets to save on the side for lunch the next day.
• Feel free to add more or less tomato sauce! I like to just cover the chicken with sauce, but you can also add some in with the pasta if you'd like.
• If you're not a fan of arugula, you can serve this pasta salad with romaine lettuce!
• Add a generous amount of salt and pepper when you toss all the salad ingredients together.
• Personally, I like serving this pasta salad warm, but you can also serve it chilled! Just note that gluten-free pasta made with rice will harden as it chills. (That's why I suggest cooking it until it's a little softer.)
• I know this recipe has the word "parmesan" in the title, but I actually don't use any cheese! If you'd like to add some dairy-free cheese, or regular cheese, feel free!

How to store leftovers

Store leftovers in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I like using glass containers, but any container with a cover would work. When serving leftovers, lightly re-heat, and toss with fresh arugula. You can also serve chilled.

More salad recipes!

• Healthy BBQ Chicken Salad (Whole30)
• Creamy Avocado Pasta Salad (Vegan)
• Italian Bean Salad Recipe
• Simple Balsamic Chicken Salad - Whole30, Paleo

After you make this Gluten-Free Chicken Parmesan Pasta Salad, make sure to leave a comment & rate the recipe! Your feedback is helpful for me, and for anyone planning to try this recipe. I hope you love it as much as I do!

Recipe

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