Chicken Salad Chick Pasta Salad
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Chicken Salad Chick Pasta Salad is an easy-to-make, potluck-perfect pasta salad! Tri-color rotini pasta tossed with Italian dressing, feta & parmesan cheese, black olives & artichoke hearts.
What You Will ❤️ About Chicken Salad Chick’s Pasta Salad
- Picnic Perfect – because this salad has no mayo – it’s perfect for potluck or bbq
- Light & Flavorful – this pasta salad isn’t overloaded with ingredients but has just enough to make you want more!
- Mediterranean Flair – With feta & artichoke hearts – it’s got delicious Greek notes to it that I love!
Chicken Salad Chick Pasta Salad Ingredients
I love how simple this salad is – it’s a perfect complement to any of their chicken salads because the flavors are mild and won’t overpower their delicious chicken salads!! Here’s what you’ll need:
- 12 oz box tri-color rotini pasta
- 1 cup Italian dressing
- 1/2 cup black olives, sliced
- 6 oz artichoke hearts, drained & chopped
- 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Recipe Variations
Pasta Salad is one of my favorite things to jimmy with – because you can customize to exactly what you like very easily! Here are some ideas:
- Creamier – if you like a creamy pasta salad, you could decrease the Italian dressing to 1/2 cup and add a 1/2 cup mayonnaise or sour cream and whisk them together for your dressing. You could also add in a few tbsp of Dijon mustard if you don’t want to use mayo but still want a little creamier texture.
- Meaty – this pasta salad becomes a main course with the addition of leftover rotisserie chicken breast, chopped bacon or mini pepperoni!
- Veggies and More – CSC keeps the recipe simple but you could add lots of veggies like green bell peppers, diced celery, red onion and cherry tomatoes – and even some hard-boiled eggs! (I love hard-boiled eggs – is it just me?)
- Seasoning – You can also make your own Italian Dressing by mixing the seasoning packet with olive oil & vinegar according to package directions. Or doctor up your Italian Dressing with garlic powder, fresh parsley or fresh basil!
How to make the Chicken Salad Chick Pasta Salad recipe
This is so easy! Boil the pasta and stir it all together…let’s do it!
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the rotini pasta.
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, or until it’s al dente (cooked but still firm to the bite). Once the pasta is cooked, drain it in a colander and rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking process and cool the pasta.
- Once the rotini is cooked, drained and cooled, transfer cooked pasta to a large bowl. Add olives, artichoke hearts, feta cheese, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and toss lightly.
- Add in Italian dressing and stir to coat. Taste at this point – it will be fairly “wet” – but the pasta will absorb all of that!
- Refrigerate until ready to serve – recommend refrigeration for at least a couple of hours for the flavors to meld together and the pasta to absorb a little of the dressing.
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Tips, Tricks & FAQs
Store leftovers in an airtight container (I like these glass ones) in the refrigerator for up to a week. You’ll want to have extra dressing to moisten the salad up after a couple of days.
You don’t HAVE to use rotini – but I recommend using pasta with a curly or ridged shape. You want nooks and crannies for the dressing to hang on to. Other great pasta choices are macaroni, cavatappi, bowtie or fusilli.
The pasta will continue to absorb liquid which is why you could it to al dente and it will absorb more liquid and continue to soften as you let it rest. That said – just make up a little extra dressing or reserve some to freshen before you serve.
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More Chicken Salad Chick Recipes
- CSC Broccoli Salad (I make this at least once a month!!!)
- CSC Egg Salad
- CSC Grape Salad
- More Chicken Salad Chick Recipes
More Pasta Salad Recipes
Chicken Salad Chick Pasta Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 oz tri-color rotini pasta
- 1 cup Italian dressing
- 1/2 cup black olives sliced
- 6 oz artichoke hearts drained & chopped
- 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbled
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1 tsp coarse sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the rotini pasta.12 oz tri-color rotini pasta
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, or until it's al dente (cooked but still firm to the bite). Once the pasta is cooked, drain it in a colander and rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking process and cool the pasta
- Once the rotini is cooked, drained and cooled, transfer cooked pasta to a large bowl. Add olives, artichoke hearts, feta cheese, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and toss lightly.1/2 cup black olives, 6 oz artichoke hearts, 1/2 cup feta cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, 1 tsp coarse sea salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper
- Add in Italian dressing and stir to coat. Taste at this point – it will be fairly "wet" – but the pasta will absorb all of that!1 cup Italian dressing
- Refrigerate until ready to serve – recommend refrigeration for at least a couple of hours for the flavors to meld together and the pasta to absorb a little of the dressing.
This my permanent pasta salad recipe. I did add roasted red peppers and used zesty Italian dressing.