How to Make Delicious Summer Chicken Pasta Salad

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This Summer Chicken Pasta Salad is completely irresistible and always a crowd favorite! The fresh ingredients and flavors make it a staple for my family that we enjoy all the time.

This chicken pasta salad is chilled and so refreshing for a hot summer day. ☀️🍉

Ingredients

Dressing:

• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 Tbsp dried dill
• 2 tsp minced garlic (2 cloves)
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Pasta Salad:

• 1.5 cups fresh or frozen yellow corn
• 16 oz mini bow tie pasta
• 12 slices (12 oz) bacon, cooked, drained and chopped
• 12 oz. grape tomatoes, halved
• 8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1 1/2 cups chopped English cucumber (about 3/4 of one medium)
• 1 cup chopped green onions (about 5)
• 3 1/2 cups cooked shredded rotisserie chicken, chilled
• 1/4 cup pasta water, or more as needed

Directions

1. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, mayonnaise, lemon juice, parsley, dill, garlic and season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Cook bow tie pasta al dente according to the package directions.
3. In a large bowl add cooled pasta, corn, bacon, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, cucumber, green onions, and cooked chicken.
4. Pour dressing over along with 1/4 cup pasta water then toss to evenly coat. Thin with more pasta water as needed (as it rests it will thicken) and season with more salt as needed.

Serve immediately ☀️

Quick Video Tutorial

Perfect Presentation Platters

This Chicken Pasta is so pretty and colorful all on its own, so you don’t need anything fancy! Here are some of my favorite cutting boards, serving bowls, and accessories:

Wooden Serving Boards: I used this black wooden serving board and they would also look beautiful on a brown wooden serving tray or this white-washed option.

Large Serving Bowls: The possibilities are endless! I love this beautiful stoneware bowl or you also can’t go wrong with this Wooden Salad Bowl (from Walmart at a great price!) or this option from JC Penney for larger batches. For a higher-end choice, I love this white floral bowl by MacKenzie-Childs, as well this everyday bowl from her collection, which also comes in blue.

Individual Bowls: If you’d prefer to serve this Chicken Pasta Salad in individual or smaller bowls, Walmart has these beautiful gray stoneware bowls with silver rims that are so elegant! I also love this black-and-white coordinating set or this colorful terracotta Spanish style.

Can I Make This Ahead of Time?

This Chicken Pasta Salad is a dish that is best served as soon as possible, but you can definitely prep ahead of time! I like to cook the pasta and prep all of the veggies so all I have to do is throw it all together, which takes just a few minutes once everything is ready!

Storing Leftover Chicken Pasta Salad

Store leftovers in a Ziploc bag or Tupperware container, where it should stay fresh for 2-4 days in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

I hope this Chicken Pasta Salad is a helpful recipe for you to keep in your back pocket! Thanks for visiting and I hope you have an amazing week!

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