Cold chicken caprese pasta with olive oil, basil and balsamic vinegar dressing, a satisfying recipe full of flavour and colour.
I love pasta of any kind, but this chicken caprese pasta salad is a top notch one. Super easy to put together, and it can be enjoyed as a work lunch, quick dinner, picnic, back to school meal, you name it. Ready in under 30 minutes, what a treat!
So, summer has decided to come back. For 2 days only, but beggers can’t be choosers, we have to fully enjoy it as it comes, it’s never here to stay. At least a sunny bank holiday weekend, it hardly ever happens. And what’s better on a nice day that a cold dish that requires minimal preparation.
Another favourite pasta salad is the BLT Pasta Salad, which also goes dowb a treat on a nice sunny day. But then salads are not only for summer time, they are great reglardless the season.
The caprese salad is a beatiful Italian dish usually made with mozzarella, tomatoes and basil. From here, the sky is the limit, anything else you add can bring more flavour and goodness.
The chicken makes the salad a lot more filling, to get you through a long day. It’s filling enough to be enjoy on its own, without the need for extra dishes. It’s a lot nicer straight from the fridge, and keeps well in an air-tight container.
However, if the dressing has been already mixed with the salad, it’s better to consume it sooner rather than later. If you want to take it on a picnic, maybe it’s better to keep the dressing in a separate container until it’s needed.
I have cooked the chicken on the grill, but leftover chicken is also a good option. Fresh basil has a lot more aroma, but if you happen to have only the dry basil that can also be used.
Tomatoes can be of any kind or shape, cherry tomatoes, plum tomatoes, or the regular-size tomatoes cut into cubes. And that’s pretty much it, a fantastic salad to feed a hungry crowd.
I just love a simple tasty recipe that actually looks nice enough to give the impression it took effort and time to make it. What kind of salad do you like? Are you a pasta salad fan or would you rather have pasta as a hot meal?
If you’ve tried my COLD CHICKEN CAPRESE PASTA or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.
Cold chicken caprese pasta salad recipe with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and basil dressing, a fantastic salad to be enjoyed as a work lunch or quick easy dinner. Also great to take on a picnic. Filling, tasty and super easy to make.
- 1 cup fussili pasta
- 1 chicken breast
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 1/2 cup cubed mozzarella cheese
- 2 tbsp freshly-chopped basil
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp paprika
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Bring a pan of salty water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
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When reaedy, drain the water and set aside to cool.
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Chop the tomatoes and add them to a bowl together with the cubed mozzarella cheese.
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Cut the chicken into cubes, add them to a re-sealable bag together with the vegetable oil, salt and pepper.
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Shake the bag well to coat the chicken, then heat up a grill pan and cook the chicken for about 2-3 minutes on each side until lightly brown and cooked through.
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Mix the chicken pieces with the cooked pasta, tomatoes and mozzarella.
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To make the dressing, combine the balsamic vinegar with the olive oil and chopped basil, then drizzle over the salad.
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Serve cold from the fridge.
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