Italian Chicken Pasta Salad Recipe

Attention, pasta aficionados and chicken connoisseurs! Prepare to be wowed by the exquisite flavours of our Italian Chicken Pasta Salad recipe. It’s a culinary experience that will transport you straight to the sun-soaked streets of Italy, where fresh ingredients and vibrant flavours reign supreme.

Imagine a medley of plump and juicy cherry tomatoes, bursting with a sweetness that lingers on your tongue. Picture the satisfying twirls of fusilli pasta, eagerly embracing each ingredient, ensuring that every bite is a harmonious blend of flavours. This pasta variety is perfect for capturing all the goodness in this salad, creating a delightful mouthful in every forkful.

We elevate the salad’s green quotient with a generous helping of rocket, also known as arugula. Its peppery bite adds a hint of boldness and depth to the dish, creating a perfect balance of flavours. And let’s not forget the pièce de résistance—the succulent roasted chicken thighs. Tender and flavourful, they bring a savoury element that takes this pasta salad to new heights.

To add a briny punch and a touch of umami, we incorporate sliced olives, infusing the salad with their distinctive Mediterranean charm. The finely sliced red onion adds a subtle sharpness and crunch, creating layers of texture that keep each mouthful exciting.

When these ingredients come together, magic happens. The sweet burst of cherry tomatoes pairs harmoniously with the peppery rocket. The tender chicken mingles with the earthy olives and the subtle bite of red onion. All of this is lovingly bound by the silky presence of extra virgin olive oil, ensuring that each forkful is a celebration of Italian flavours.

As you indulge in this Italian Chicken Pasta Salad, you’ll find yourself whisked away to the picturesque piazzas of Italy, where vibrant colours and exquisite flavours harmonize effortlessly. It’s a dish that celebrates the simplicity and elegance of Italian cuisine.

So, gather your ingredients and prepare to embark on a culinary journey with our Italian Chicken Pasta Salad. Let the cherry tomatoes, fusilli pasta, rocket, roasted chicken thighs, sliced olives, red onion, and extra virgin olive oil guide you to a place of gustatory bliss. Get ready to savour the essence of Italy and embrace the magic that happens when these ingredients come together in perfect harmony.

Tips & Tricks

• For pasta salad, you will want to cook the pasta more than the package instructions, al dente pasta salad is not good! The rigatoni I used for this recipe states a 14-minute cook time on the packet, I cooked it for 16 minutes in total.
• Let the pasta cool down naturally, just drain it and toss it in some olive oil, this ensures a good texture, helps the pasta cling to the sauce and ingredients. If you rinse the pasta under cold water, you’ll end up with a soggy pasta salad.
• I prefer to use chicken thighs for this pasta salad, they keep their moisture after cooking and cooling a lot better than breasts, but if you’re looking for a leaner option then breasts will work great!
• Cook the thigh to an internal temperature of 90C / 195F, this ensures you’ll have fall of the bone chicken, whilst still being tender and moist.
• Cut the crispy chicken skin into small pieces then stir it through the salad for a punchy, chickeny seasoning.
• Soak the sliced red onion in cold water for 10 minutes to reduce the harsh oniony flavour they sometimes have.
• Add lemon juice to help to brighten up the salad and cut through the olive oil.

Yield: 4-6 portions

Italian Chicken Pasta Salad Recipe

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Indulge in the vibrant flavours of Italy with our mouthwatering Italian Chicken Pasta Salad. This delectable dish combines al dente fusilli pasta, succulent roasted chicken thighs, plump cherry tomatoes, briny olives, and peppery rocket and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, made with fresh ingredients in this tasty and satisfying pasta salad.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 250g fusilli / rotini
• 4 x chicken thighs
• 2 teaspoons of each - dried oregano, cracked black pepper, salt
• Extra virgin Olive oil 50ml / 3 tablespoons
• 2 x garlic cloves
• Salt & pepper
• 225g / 1.5 cups cherry tomatoes
• Olives
• 1/2 red onion
• 30g / 1/3 cup grated parmesan
• A handful of rocket/spinach/green leaves
• Lemon juice to taste

Instructions

1. Place the chicken thighs onto a sheets tray, lightly oil and season with the seasoning mix, then roast at 180C for around 25 minutes or until the centre of the thigh reads 90C / 195F.  Leave to cool on the side.
2. Cook and cool the pasta, cook it over the packet instruction by 1-2 minutes.
3. Into a mixing bowl add the finely minced, chopped grated garlic, cherry tomatoes cut in half, sliced olives, finely sliced red onion (that’s been left to sit in cold water for 10 minutes then drained) olive oil and finely grated parmesan.  Mix everything well.
4. Then shred the chicken meat off the bone and finely chop the skin (for an extra punch in flavour without the flabby texture)
5. Add that to the bowl with the cooled pasta, washed leaves and a little squeeze of lemon juice, mix and taste for seasoning.