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A bowl of chicken pasta salad with a fork.
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4.50 from 6 votes

Mediterranean Chicken Pasta Salad

Juicy seared chicken, rigatoni, sweet tomatoes, and roasted red peppers come together with capers, kalamata olives, and a punchy red wine vinaigrette in this chicken pasta salad recipe.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Entree or Side Dish, Entree/Poultry, Entree/Salad
Cuisine: American/Mediterranean
Servings: 6
Author: Mark Beahm

Ingredients

For the Chicken

For the Salad

  • 12 ounces rigatoni (340g)
  • Sea salt
  • 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 cup sliced roasted red peppers
  • 1/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
  • 2 tablespoons capers, drained
  • 1 cup arugula
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped or torn
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

For the Vinaigrette

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  • Cook the chicken. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season the chicken breasts with Italian seasoning, sea salt, and black pepper. Cook the chicken until golden and cooked through, about 8 minutes per side. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before dicing it into bite-sized pieces.
  • Cook the pasta. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Generously salt the boiling water, then add the pasta and cook until al dente, following the package instructions. Drain in a colander. Add the pasta to a large mixing bowl and set aside to cool briefly.
  • Make the vinaigrette. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, and black pepper.
  • Combine and serve. To the bowl with the pasta, add the tomatoes, roasted red peppers, olives, and capers and toss. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. If serving immediately, add the arugula and basil, and toss to combine. If making it ahead, reserve the arugula and basil to sprinkle over individual servings when ready to eat.

Notes

  • Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including the olive oil, pasta, and olives used in this recipe.
  • How to Store: Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 443.4kcal | Carbohydrates: 46.6g | Protein: 25.7g | Fat: 16.7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10.1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 1021.9mg | Potassium: 588.7mg | Fiber: 3.4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 764.1IU | Vitamin C: 14.3mg | Calcium: 90.1mg | Iron: 1.8mg

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