Protein Pasta Salad with Zesty Italian Vinaigrette

Hello and happy Friday! Today’s recipe is nice and simple. A protein packed pasta salad filled with roasted veggies and tossed in a zesty homemade vinaigrette. You have to try this one out!

In the south a cookout is everything in the summer and pasta salad almost always makes an appearance on the table. I’ve bulked up this typical side dish with the addition of diced chicken breast and protein pasta, making it the perfect main course, too!

When I was a teenager, I remember my mom always making some version of this dish in the summers. It would usually have asparagus, tomatoes, and chicken (among other veggies) and was coated in olive oil and Italian seasoning. She would make a huge batch of it and keep in the fridge for lunches. It is definitely one of my favorite childhood recipes. So, every year when summer rolls around I start to crave it, and I knew I had to create my own version to share with ya’ll.

The details

Like I mentioned earlier, I like to use chickpea pasta for this dish to boost the protein element and it helps you stay fuller longer than with a traditional white pasta. I’m using penne in this pasta salad recipe because this shape holds up well to the vinegarette and heaviness of all the toppings.

For the second source of protein, I used trimmed chicken breast and cut them into 1 inch cubes. Then coat the chicken in olive oil, herbs, and salt and pepper and heat a skillet with a little bit of oil. Once the skillet is hot, you’ll cook the chicken in batches creating a crust on one side of the chicken. Cooking in batches is important here because if the pan is overcrowded a crust cannot form on the chicken; it will just simply steam in the pan.

Then roast your veggies simply seasoned with olive oil and flakey sea salt. This particular time I roasted tricolor cauliflower, which adds a beautiful pop of color to the dish, and asparagus. I really loved this combination in pasta salad because neither veggie gets mushy after roasting. You may also want to roast the two vegetables separately to ensure even cooking.

While everything is cooking, slice a pint of cherry tomatoes in half and dice the onion. I like to use red onion but chopped green onion or chives would give you a milder onion flavor.

Zesty Italian Vinaigrette

This dressing is super simple. I whisk together equal parts olive oil and red wine vinegar with Dijon mustard, oregano, dill, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper and set aside until the pasta is ready to be dressed.

Pasta Salad Variations

Pasta: If you don’t like the texture of chickpea pasta or can’t find it, white or whole wheat pasta will work just fine. I will say a short cut pasta works best in this recipe but feel free to use any shape you have on hand.

Protein: If you want to keep this pasta salad vegetarian, omit the chicken and serve it using roasted chickpeas or a can of cannellini beans. Just be sure to drain and rinse your beans anytime they come out of a can.

Don’t like the veggies I’ve used here? This recipe is super adaptable! Try using chopped sundried tomatoes or Roasted broccoli instead of cauliflower. Even trimmed and chopped fresh green beans would hold up well in this salad.

Optional additional toppings: Since this recipe is based off of one my mom made; I can’t leave you without mentioning the option of adding olives to this recipe. Mom always used sliced black olives, but any olive would work. Also, a sprinkle of crumbled feta cheese is a must!

And that’s it for today! If you try this recipe out, be sure and let me know in the comments. I love hearing what you think!

Looking for more summertime salad recipes?

Couscous Salad with Spicy Tzatziki

Protein Pasta Salad with Zesty Italian Vinaigrette

Cara Williams

A protein packed pasta salad filled with roasted veggies and tossed in a zesty homemade vinaigrette.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course Lunch, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Italian

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

  

• 1 box short chickpea pasta such as penne
• 1.5 pounds trimmed chicken breast
• 2 tbsp olive oil for coating plus more for skillet
• 1 tbsp dried oregeno
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tbs salt
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
• 1/2 red onion diced
• 1 head cauliflower cut into florets or bag of tri color florets
• 1 pound asparagus chopped into 1 inch pieces

Zesty Italian Vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp dried oregeno
• 1 tbsp garlic powder

Instructions

 

For the chicken

• Cut the chicken breast into bite size cubes and place in a resealable bag. Add the olive oil, dried oregano, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and salt to the bag of chicken and coat the chicken evenly.

  Heat a skillet on medium heat with oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Working in batches, put the marinated chicken in the hot skillet. Leave the chicken still for about 3-5 minutes to form a good crust on one side. Once the chicken is brown on one side, flip the pieces over to cook on the other side. This will take about 3 more minutes.

  Set aside until ready to assemble.

For the pasta salad

• Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the box and drain. Set this aside.
• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

  Separately, coat the cauliflower florets and asparagus with olive oil and a little flaked sea salt.

  Roast the vegetables in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, tossing at the halfway mark.

  While the vegetables are roasting, dice the red onion and cut the cherry tomatoes in half.

  In a large bowl, put in the cooked pasta and toss with the homemade dressing. Taste at this point and see if you need to add more salt.

  Once the pasta is coated and flavored how you like, add the cooked chicken and the raw and roasted vegetables to the bowl of dressed pasta. Carefully toss everything together.

  If using, add the feta to the bowl now.

For the vinaigrette

• In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the dressing. Whisk together until completely combined.

Keyword Protein lunch, Summer side dish