Pasta BBQ chicken salad recipe

Blow everyone else at the potluck out of the water with this chicken pasta salad recipe that is rich, flavorful and, best of all, drenched in a creamy dressing made from BBQ and mayonnaise. This is one of those easy recipes that you can whip up last minute and no one will be able to tell that you didn’t spend all day on it.

One Pot BBQ Chicken Pasta

It’s been a bit hectic here the last couple of days. Butters was neutered and Jason had LASIK surgery so between taking care of my boys, I’ve had very little time in the kitchen! Thank goodness for the one pot meal. It saved us from ordering mediocre take-out! Plus, with BBQ sauce, cheese and bacon, you just can’t go wrong.

And yes, this is another super easy one pot meal – a one pot meal where the past gets cooked right in the pot! It’s doesn’t get easier than that, right? And if you want to keep it vegetarian, you can certainly omit the chicken. There’s just so many fun flavors, the chicken may not even be missed!

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• 250g farfalle pasta
• 200g snow peas, trimmed, halved lengthways
• 1 bunch asparagus, woody ends trimmed, cut into 5cm lengths
• 1 cup (120g) frozen peas
• 1 bunch baby broccoli, cut into 5cm lengths
• 1 Coles Portuguese Hot Roast Chicken, skin and bones removed, shredded
• 1/2 cup (125ml) Nando’s Peri-Peri Marinade Lemon & Herb
• 1/4 cup mint sprigs

STEP 1

Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling water following packet directions or until al dente, adding the snow pea, asparagus, peas and baby broccoli in the last 2 mins of cooking. Refresh under cold water. Drain well. Transfer to a large bowl.

STEP 2

Add the chicken to the pasta mixture. Drizzle with marinade. Toss to combine.

STEP 3

Divide the pasta salad evenly among serving bowls. Sprinkle with mint sprigs. Season.

Add more veg: Pasta salad is a great way to use up veggies in the fridge, like chargrilled corn, capsicum or zucchini.

Yes! The homemade dressing is wonderful and is even better when the salad has been allowed to sit. If we are having this for a party I’ll make it up in the morning and refrigerate it as long as possible. This allows the cheese and pasta to soak up the dressing a little bit.

To blanch broccoli, you cook the broccoli in hot water for about 60 – 90 seconds. I like to boil the water for pasta and either add the broccoli while the pasta is cooking or right before adding the pasta.

Blanching the broccoli isn’t an absolute must, but it’s so easy to do and it really brightens up the broccoli. That way the broccoli is that lovely rich green rather than a kind of grey-green that it can sometimes look especially when paired with all of the other ingredients in the chicken pasta salad.

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No-mayonnaise creamy dressing option

Also, I would be remiss not to mention some terrific no-mayo creamy dressing options! Whether you’ve got mayo-haters in your life (I seem to have a bizarre number of these) or simply as a lower fat alternative, try a Creamy Yogurt Dressing instead. Use either the Yogurt Ranch or Yogurt Potato Salad Dressing, both are terrific for pasta salad.

Barbecue Chicken Layered Pasta Salad

Summer calls for delicious salads, such as this Barbecue Chicken Layered Pasta Salad.

Make and layer the salad ahead of time pull out of the fridge to serve with a fresh summer menu!

It’s optional to serve this salad already mixed together, or served in layers!

Ingredients

Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Dressing

• Mayonnaise –You can use any kind of mayo you’d like, but believe me you want this creamy component.
• Sour cream –This ingredient will add some nice tang. If you’d like to bulk up the protein you can sub this out for an equal amount of Greek yogurt with a teaspoon of lemon juice added.
• Ranch dressing –This addition will pack tons of great flavor and pair nicely with the chicken.

Pasta salad

• Rigati –This is a smaller version of rigatoni. I wanted something with ridges that would soak up all that sauce.
• Chicken –Cooked and diced up, I like to go to the store and buy a nice rotisserie chicken to chop up but you can also use Roast Chicken leftovers.
• Bacon –Fried up and chopped into bite sized pieces.
• Veggies –Celery and cherry tomatoes will add some nice fiber and brightness to our pasta salad.
• Olives –Black olives sliced up nicely to add some savory tang.

BBQ Chicken Pasta Salad

I’m excited to share this BBQ Chicken Pasta Salad with you guys today, just in time for your Memorial Day cookout! I think it’s best eaten cold, which makes it the perfect option for prepping ahead of time so you have one less thing to stress about on a busy day.

To make this pasta salad, I teamed up with Dreamfields to help introduce you guys to a fun summer event they’re hosting called #Pastapalooza2018! For the next six weeks, from Memorial Day until 4th of July, Dreamfields will be sharing delicious summer pasta blockbuster recipes, hosting exciting weekly giveaways (including a Grand prize of a year’s supply of pasta and a $1,000 VISA gift card), sharing coupons, and basically making summer more fun!

If you haven’t heard of Dreamfields, their pasta is made with premium durum wheat semolina and a blend of fiber and plant proteins that offers 5g fiber and 7g plant protein per serving! It also provides prebiotic fiber which aids in healthy digestion, all with the taste and texture of regular pasta!

When they asked me to create a recipe showcasing their pasta, this BBQ chicken pasta immediately came to mind. I don’t know about you, but for me, pasta salad basically screams summer. I love that you can make it ahead of time, throw in all your favorite veggies, add a flavorful sauce and boom! A healthy, flavorful dinner or side dish is born.