Not all pasta salad needs mayo. Mine gets its tang from a lemon-Dijon vinaigrette, with cannellini beans and arugula for substance, and baked herbed chicken. It’s a pasta salad that actually survives a picnic table.

A bowl of pasta shells mixed with chunks of chicken, white beans, fresh parsley, a twist on classic pasta salad without mayonnaise—served with a gold fork resting in the bowl.

Pasta salad has a soggy noodle, gloppy-dressing problem. I don’t like feeding people congealed mayo, so I avoid it entirely — this version centers on chicken breast roasted with Mediterranean herbs and a punchy lemon-Dijon vinaigrette instead.

The case against mayo

  • Skipping the mayo means the pasta is free to move about your plate instead of clumped into a cold brick, even pulled straight from the fridge.
  • A vinaigrette seasons every bite instead of just coating it — the acid and salt soak into the pasta and chicken, where mayo just sits on top.
  • The cooked chicken’s pan juices go straight into the salad along with the dressing, instead of down the drain — free flavor, no extra step.

My key ingredients

Ingredients for a chicken pasta salad recipe arranged on a light surface, including olive oil, half a lemon, dried herbs, Dijon mustard, salt, ground pepper, a garlic clove, chopped shallots, a honey dipper, lavender sprig, and a vinegar bottle.
Ingredients for the zesty vinaigrette
  • Chicken breasts: I bake boneless, skinless breasts seasoned with herbs, salt and pepper, then slice the meat into chunks once it’s cool enough to handle (here’s my full method for baked chicken breasts if you want more detail on technique and timing). Leftover herb-roasted chicken or rotisserie chicken works too — you’ll need about 4 cups chopped.
  • Dried pasta: Short shapes like shells, bow ties, penne, or fusilli hold dressing better than long pasta, and are easier to eat in one bite. It’s important to cook pasta until al dente for a pasta salad — anything longer means the pasta will fall apart when it sits in the vinaigrette.
  • Vinaigrette dressing: Olive oil, vinegar and Dijon mustard deliver the tang instead of mayo, with herbs de Provence and a touch of honey to round out the acid. Use a milder vinegar — white wine, white balsamic, apple cider or rice wine — since red wine vinegar is sharper and can overpower the balance. I like to shake it in a jar. This is especially useful when you’re taking the salad somewhere.
  • Arugula: I like the peppery bite of arugula in just about anything, but with the sweet-tangy dressing it’s even better. Add the greens right before tossing if you don’t enjoy them completely wilted.

Bake the chicken

  • Two uncooked chicken breasts on a pan, with herb seasoning on top.
    Put the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Generously sprinkle with salt, black pepper and dried herbs.
  • A cooked, sliced chicken breast on a plastic cutting board, with a knife, dish or parsley and jar of salad dressing on the side.
    Slice the cooked chicken in half lengthwise, then crosswise into bite-sized pieces.

Serve it warm, room temp, or somewhere in between

  • Most pasta salad recipes tell you to rinse the pasta under cold water before tossing — don’t do it. Rinsing washes away the starch on the surface of the noodles, and that’s exactly what helps the Dijon dressing cling to them. Here, the pasta goes into the bowl warm, when it’s most receptive to absorbing flavor. The result is a pasta salad that’s seasoned throughout, not just coated on the outside.
  • Like all fats, olive oil firms up when it’s cold. That’s why I prefer serving this salad at room temperature or slightly chilled — the dressing stays loose, the flavors are brighter, and the pasta tastes better.
A bowl of pasta shells mixed with chunks of chicken, white beans, fresh parsley, and topped with grated cheese—a twist on classic Italian pasta recipes—served with a gold fork resting in the bowl.
5 from 14 ratings

Chicken Pasta Salad with Arugula (No Mayo)

Karen Tedesco
This recipe skips the mayo — a punchy lemon-Dijon vinaigrette and herbed chicken give this pasta salad its flavor backbone. Serve it warm or at room temperature — it gets better as it sits.
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Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
 

Salad Dressing

  • ⅓ cup (80 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) white wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon (15 g) Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon (15 g) honey
  • 1 tablespoon grated or finely chopped garlic, 1-2 cloves
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
  • 1 teaspoon herbs de Provence, or other dried herb blend
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Chicken Pasta Salad:

  • 1-1¼ pounds small boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, about 2
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1½ teaspoons herbs de Provence, or other dried herb blend
  • Olive oil
  • 8 ounces (225 g) dried pasta shells, or other bite-size pasta shape such as penne, fusilli or bow ties
  • 1 14-ounce can cannellini beans, drained, or other canned white bean, optional
  • 2 cups baby arugula, or other salad greens

Instructions
 

Make the dressing

  1. Put ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon grated or finely chopped garlic, 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot, 1 teaspoon herbs de Provence, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt in a jar with a lid and shake vigorously until the dressing is smooth and emulsified. Season with more salt, pepper, vinegar or lemon juice, to suit your taste.

Make the salad

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 (220 C) degrees.
  2. Bake the chicken: Put the chicken breasts on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle them generously on both sides with salt, pepper, and 1½ teaspoons herbs de Provence. Drizzle with some olive oil, turning them over to coat. Bake the chicken about 20 minutes, or until they register 158–160°F on a digital thermometer, turning them over halfway. When cool enough to handle, slice the chicken into bite-size pieces. Reserve the pan juices.
  3. Cook 8 ounces dried pasta shells in boiling, salted water until al dente – refer to the package directions and undercook by 3 minutes. Drain and transfer to a serving bowl or platter.
  4. Add the 1 14-ounce can cannellini beans (if using), 2 cups baby arugula and half the dressing to the pasta and toss together. Arrange the sliced chicken on top of the salad, and pour over the reserved pan juice.
  5. To serve, drizzle with additional dressing to taste (it will absorb it as it sits). Enjoy the salad warm or at room temperature.

Notes

  • If you don’t have herbs de Provence, try a mixture of ¼ teaspoon each dried thyme, rosemary and oregano. Check the jar before you buy — good herbs de Provence shows actual greenish leaves and plenty of purple lavender petals, not gray dusty bits.
  • Stir in a drained can of cannellini beans for heft, or swap in chickpeas or navy beans — they’re optional either way.
  • The salad dressing and baked chicken can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored separately.
  • Chicken pasta salad tastes best served slightly warm or at room temperature, not straight from the fridge.
  • Drizzle a little more dressing over the salad just before serving — the pasta absorbs it as it sits.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 311kcal Carbohydrates: 33g Protein: 13g Fat: 14g Sodium: 271mg Fiber: 2g Sugar: 4g

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

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