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Chicken pasta salad topped with fresh parsley and vinaigrette dressing in a serving bowl.

30-Minute Cold Chicken Pasta Salad (No Mayo)

Karen Tedesco
Not all pasta salads use mayo! This light and herby chicken pasta salad recipe is simply dressed with a tangy lemon-Dijon vinaigrette, and tossed with cannellini beans, fresh arugula, a short pasta of your choice, and baked bite-size pieces of chicken. It’s ready in 30 minutes, and easy to prepare in advance. Enjoy this chicken pasta salad cold or at room temperature.
5 from 12 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Chicken
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings 6 servings
Calories 328 kcal

Ingredients
 

Dijon Vinaigrette

  • 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

Salad:

  • 2 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1-1¼ pounds total
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1½ teaspoons herbs de Provence or other dried herb blend
  • Olive oil
  • 8 ounces (225 g) 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
  • 2 cups baby arugula or other salad greens
  • ¼ cup (25 g) grated Parmesan cheese
US Customary - Metric

Instructions
 

Make the dressing

  • Put the ingredients for the dressing 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

  • Preheat the oven to 425 (220 C) degrees.
  • Bake the chicken: Put the chicken breasts on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle them generously on both sides with salt, pepper, and dried herbs. Drizzle with some olive oil, turning them over to coat. Bake the chicken about 20 minutes, turning them over halfway, until the chicken is cooked through. When it's cool enough to handle, slice the chicken into bite-size pieces. Reserve the pan juices.
  • Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain and transfer to a serving bowl or platter.
  • Add the beans, greens 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.
  • To serve, drizzle with additional dressing to taste and sprinkle with the grated cheese. Enjoy the salad warm or at room temperature.

Video

Notes

  • If you don't have herbs de Provence, try using a mixture of with 1/4 teaspoon each dried thyme, rosemary, and oregano.
  • The salad dressing and baked chicken can be made up to 3 days ahead. For the best flavor, toss the pasta with the dressing just before serving.
  • Chicken pasta salad tastes best when it's served slightly warm or at room temperature, rather than straight out of the fridge.
  • Drizzle a little more dressing over the pasta salad just before serving — the pasta will absorb the dressing as it sits.
  • Shell pasta has sturdy texture and perfect shape for capturing the dressing, but any short-cut pasta shape will work, including gluten-free pasta.

Nutrition

Calories: 328kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 15gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 344mgPotassium: 288mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 226IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 73mgIron: 1mg