Pesto Chicken Pasta Salad
Pesto Chicken Pasta Salad is a light and refreshing side dish that's perfect for summer barbeques! It's made with a homemade lemon pesto, gluten-free pasta, arugula, and cherry tomatoes.
Equipment
- Food Processor or Blender
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Chicken Breast Cook with salt, black pepper, and lemon juice.
- 2 Cups Arugula
- 1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes, Cut in half
- 16 Ounces Gluten-Free Pasta Jovial Cassava Flour pasta works best!
Pesto Sauce
- 2 Cup Fresh Basil
- ⅓ Cup Lemon Juice
- ¼ Cup Mayo I used Primal Kitchen avocado oil mayo.
- 2 Cloves Fresh Garlic, Grated
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- ¼ Teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
Chicken
- Start by patting dry chicken breast with a paper towel. Place on a pre-heated skillet with a little olive oil. Drizzle on lemon juice, and a sprinkle of salt and black pepper.
- Flip chicken after about 5-6 minutes. (Or until cooked through in the center.) Drizzle on more lemon juice, salt, and black pepper.
- Cut into bite size pieces and set aside to cool.
Pesto
- Next, add all pesto sauce ingredients into a food processor or blender. Blend until it's a smooth consistency.
Gluten-Free Pasta
- Cook gluten-free pasta according to directions on the package. Drain water and set aside to cool. (Stir in a little olive oil so it doesn't stick!)
Assembling Pasta Salad
- Add pasta, chicken, arugula, cherry tomatoes, and pesto into a large bowl. Stir together until everything is evenly coated with the pesto. Set in refrigerator to chill.
Notes
Expert Tips
- Generously salt the water when you add in the pasta. I find this gives the pasta a little more flavor as it's cooking!
- Rinse the pasta after you drain it. I've found that rinsing it with cool water after you drain it helps to bring down the temperature before you mix the salad together.
- Add olive oil to the pasta to avoid it sticking together and becoming a huge clump.
- Prepare the salad ahead of time. I typically serve mine at least an hour after I make it. The flavors take time to mesh together, and it tastes best when it's chilled.
- Don't feel like making the pesto? Use pre-made pesto and add a little lemon juice to thin it out!
Nutrition
Serving: 1ServingCalories: 317kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 18gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 291mgPotassium: 302mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 549IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 26mgIron: 1mg
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