Quick Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad
A vibrant and satisfying pasta salad featuring tender chicken, fresh cherry tomatoes, and mozzarella pearls tossed in a zesty pesto dressing. It's a perfect blend of flavors and textures for a quick and delightful lunch.
Ingredients
- Rotini or Fusilli Pasta 113 grams
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast 113 grams
- Pesto 60 ml
- Cherry Tomatoes 1 cup
- Mozzarella Pearls (Bocconcini) 85 grams
- Red Onion 1/4 unit
- Olive Oil 1 tbsp
- Salt 1/2 tsp
- Black Pepper 1/4 tsp
How to Cook
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente (typically 10-12 minutes). Drain and rinse with cold water to cool, then set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, pat the chicken breast dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook for 5-7 minutes per side, or until cooked through and no longer pink in the center. Remove chicken from skillet and let rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes.
- While chicken rests, halve the cherry tomatoes and finely dice the red onion.
- Dice the rested chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, diced chicken, halved cherry tomatoes, diced red onion, and mozzarella pearls.
- Add the pesto to the bowl and toss gently until all ingredients are evenly coated. Serve immediately.