Tender pasta, juicy grilled chicken, salty green olives, spicy pepper jack, bright tomato, and fresh broccoli come together with Italian dressing in this delicious Grilled Chicken Summer Pasta Salad Recipe. Â Whip this dish up ahead of time for a no-fuss meal.
Grilled Chicken Summer Pasta Salad Recipe
Pasta salads are a traditional pot luck item. Â They are most commonly served as a side dish, but this Grilled Chicken Summer Pasta Salad Recipe can be served as a meal as well. Â It contains a starch, protein, vegetable, and fat - making it a rounded meal. Â Pasta salads contain pasta and other ingredients tossed in a dressing.
What Do I Need To Make Summer Pasta Salad?
You'll need to add the following to your grocery list:
- chicken breast
- Mezzetta Spanish Manzanilla Olives
- pepperjack cheese
- broccoli
- cherry or grape tomatoes
- corkscrew pasta
- montreal style seasoning
- italian dressing
How Do I Prepare Pasta Salad from scratch?
- Cook pasta according to the package directions. Â Rinse.
- Prepare chicken by sprinkling with Montreal style seasoning.
- Grill chicken over medium heat, until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees fahrenheit, flipping once.
- Let chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
- Cut broccoli into florets and steam until tender.
- Cut cheese into ½ inch cubes.
- In a large bowl, add pasta.
- Add broccoli.
- Throw in cherry tomatoes, sliced if you like.
- Add cubed cheese.
- Drain olives, and add to bowl.
- Toss with Italian dressing, and add sliced chicken to the top.
Summer Pasta Salad Q&A
What do you eat with pasta salad?
Pasta salad can be served alone, or as a side dish. Â Try it with Santa Maria Tri tip, or Smoked Chicken.
Should I serve summer pasta salad hot or cold?
You can do either! Â It can also be served at room temp.
Can I make this dish ahead?
You can make grilled chicken summer pasta salad up tp 24 hours in advance. Â Refrigerate until served.
How long will pasta salad last in the fridge.
Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Should I rinse the pasta?
I prefer to rinse the pasta after cooking. Â This brings the temperature down a bit and also removes some of the gluten goo that is left in the water.
Do you have other BBQ side dishes?
We sure do - if you are looking for a bbq side dish, try out:
DON’T BE SHY!
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Grilled Chicken Summer Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts
- McCormick Montreal Chicken seasoning
- 1 lb tri-color cork screw pasta
- 1 block of pepper jack cheese cubed
- 2 cups broccoli chopped steamed
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved,
- 7 ounces jar of green olives drained
- ¾ bottle of store bought Italian dressing
- Instructions
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions, drain.
- Meanwhile, generously season the chicken with the Montreal Chicken seasoning.
- Grill chicken until juices run clear.
- Cut chicken into half inch cubes.
- Combine pasta, grilled chicken, cheese, broccoli, tomatoes, and olives.
- Toss together with dressing.
- Chill in the fridge until served.
Nutrition
Erin V says
I've seen thousands of pasta salad recipes but none have been as good as this one- love the grilled chicken