Smoked Chicken Pasta Salad with Fresh Basil Pesto Sauce
🧂 Ingredients
Adjust the servings and the ingredient amounts & nutrition below update automatically.
- 250 grams fusilli pasta
- 200 grams, diced smoked chicken breast
- 150 grams, halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 piece, diced small yellow bell pepper
- 1 piece, diced small Japanese cucumber
- 50 grams fresh basil leaves
- 40 grams, roughly chopped roasted almonds
- 40 grams grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic
- 100 ml olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 100 grams (optional, for topping) mini mozzarella cheese
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👩🍳 Instructions
- 1 Boil the fusilli pasta in boiling water that's been seasoned with a bit of salt and oil, cooking according to the package instructions until al dente (usually 8-10 minutes). Drain and rinse with cold water to prevent sticking, then set aside.
- 2 Make the pesto sauce: put the basil leaves, garlic, roasted almonds, and Parmesan cheese into a blender or food processor.
- 3 Pour in the olive oil little by little while blending until the texture becomes smooth and creamy. Add the lemon juice, salt, and black pepper, then blend briefly again until well combined. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
- 4 Heat a little oil in a nonstick pan and sauté the smoked chicken briefly (2-3 minutes) just to warm it up and bring out its smoky aroma — no need to cook it long since the smoked chicken is already cooked. Set aside.
- 5 In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta with the cherry tomatoes, yellow bell pepper, and Japanese cucumber.
- 6 Pour the basil pesto sauce over the pasta and vegetable mixture, then toss using two large spoons until all the ingredients are evenly coated with the sauce.
- 7 Add the sautéed smoked chicken, stirring gently so as not to damage the texture of the vegetables.
- 8 Serve the salad in a serving bowl, sprinkled with mini mozzarella cheese and a little extra Parmesan cheese on top. Serve immediately while fresh or chilled.
💡 Tips
• Use fresh, fragrant basil leaves so the pesto sauce is more aromatic — avoid basil that's wilted or has turned black.
• If you don't have almonds, you can substitute roasted cashews or peanuts as a more affordable alternative.
• The pasta can be prepared a day ahead and stored in the fridge, but mix in the pesto sauce right before serving so the texture stays fresh and doesn't get soggy.
• For a lighter version, reduce the amount of olive oil in the pesto sauce and add a little pasta cooking water to keep the texture creamy.
📊 Nutrition Facts / serving
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