A creamy, mayo-based dressing coats bow tie pasta, juicy chunks of chicken, and a medley of mix-ins in this super simple pasta salad that feeds a crowd. This chicken pasta salad is a riff off of my gold-standard chicken salad and is a hit at potlucks!
Your Favorite Chicken Salad, Pastafied
This ridiculously easy side dish merges my two great summer loves: pasta salad and chicken salad. This one hits those sweet and savory notes thanks to fruit that’s mixed in.
The creamy dressing spikes rich mayonnaise with vinegar and sugar for a sweet and tangy bite that’s reminiscent of the dressing used in old-fashioned chicken salad.
For the mix-ins, I didn’t stray far from the classics — grapes and pineapple tidbits add juicy sweetness, celery adds crunch, and cashews add a buttery bite. This is one of those fantastically flexible recipes that works with any leftover chicken you have on hand, and it can quickly turn into an “everything but the kitchen sink” type of pasta salad to use up produce that’s about to go bad.
Enjoy!
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
- For perfectly seasoned, never gummy or sticky pasta, cook it just until it reaches al dente and then rinse it under cold water. This removes any extra starch or gluten and also keeps the bow tie pasta from cooking further.
- For just the right amount of sweetness, opt for pineapple tidbits packed in their own juice rather than the kind packed in sugary syrup. Or, fresh is always best!
- Feel free to make this pasta salad your own by swapping out the cashews for slivered almonds, using all pineapple or all grapes, dried cranberries or cherries, adding in cooked and crumbled bacon, and so forth.
The Main Ingredients You’ll Need
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
Dressing
• This chicken pasta salad is tossed with a creamy, mayo-based dressing. Besides the mayonnaise, there’s just cider vinegar, a little sugar, salt, and pepper rounding it out.
• Because of this, I recommend choosing a quality mayonnaise to use in the dressing. If you only have Miracle Whip on hand, reduce the amount of sugar and vinegar since it’s already got a sweet tanginess to it.
Chicken
• Any cooked chicken may be added to the pasta in this salad. Buy a rotisserie chicken at the store and shred it up, or make roast chicken, grilled chicken, or poached chicken.
Mix-Ins
• Canned pineapple, celery, red grapes, green onions, and salted cashews are my mix-ins of choice. Omit any that you don’t like, or replace with another favorite ingredient.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Chicken Pasta Salad Recipe
Chicken salad meets pasta salad in this delectably simple recipe that comfortably feeds a hungry crowd.
Servings 12
Calories 422kcal
Ingredients
Dressing:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pasta Salad:
- 1 pound bow tie pasta
- 3 cups cooked chicken breasts, chopped into bite-size pieces*
- 1 15- ounce can pineapple tidbits in juice, drained
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 1 cup salted cashews, roughly chopped *Paige: Show a few halves in the hero so you know they are in the salad
- 1 ½ cups red grapes, halved
- ½ cup chopped green onion
Instructions
-
Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add 1 pound dried bow tie pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water, and drain well.
-
While the pasta is cooking, make the salad dressing. In a small bowl, whisk 1 cup mayonnaise, 3 tablespoons cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons sugar, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¾ teaspoon black pepper.
-
Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, add the 1 pound cooked pasta, 3 cups cooked, chopped chicken, 15 ounces (about 2 cups) pineapple tidbits, 1 cup chopped celery, 1 cup chopped cashews, 1 ½ cups halved red grapes, and ½ cup chopped green onion. Add the salad dressing and toss until evenly coated. Taste and adjust seasonings. Refrigerate for 30 minutes for the flavors to combine before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 422kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 391mg | Potassium: 412mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 135IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 2mg
What to Serve With Chicken Pasta Salad
Storage Tips
Pasta salad is best enjoyed within 24 hours of making it, but leftovers will last up to 4 days. Note that the pasta will continue to soften and the salad may need an extra dose of mayonaisse for moisture.
More Creamy Pasta Salad Recipes
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