Happy 4th!! If you need a last minute picnic dish, this one is a good one. Pasta salads are my go-to picnic food. They are easy to assemble, pack up and eat on the go. They’re also very easy to customize!
This one features fresh garden veggies and herbs, prepared pesto we froze last year, pasta and grilled chicken. You could sub in eggplant or squash and swap the chicken for shrimp or tofu if you fancy!
Start by preheating your grill and chopping your veggies.
Get your pasta boiling…
And pick some basil from the garden!
We used two large bone-in chicken breasts, but you could also use boneless. Season them with olive oil, salt and pepper before grilling until they are done in the thickest part, about 25 minutes on our grill.
Charred zucchini is one of my summer favorites! Chop it up and add to your pot.
Chop and toss in! Coat everything with pesto.
We took this salad on a picnic and had more for lunch the next day.
Summery Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fusilli pasta
- 1.5 lbs bone in chicken breast or 2 large boneless breasts
- 1.5 cups cherry tomatoes
- 4 large zucchini
- 1 small bunch basil
- 1/2 cup prepared pesto
- 6-8 ounces feta cheese
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper for seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat your grill.
- Bring a big pot of salty water to boil and cook pasta according to directions.
- Slice tomatoes and zucchini.
- Season chicken and zucchini with salt, pepper and olive oil and grill until done. For zucchini about 5-7 minutes per side and for chicken, about 20-25 minutes split between hot and warm racks.
- Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl and garnish with chopped basil.
The goat feta is the best! But regular feta will be juuuuust fine. Add some olives for a punch too!
Where will you be picnicking this summer?
Anele @ Success Along the Weigh says
Looks sooo good! Enjoy the holiday!
Livi @ Eat, Pray, Work It Out says
I love pesto on pasta salads! The perfect summery salad!
Laura @ She Eats Well says
In my eyes, you can never go wrong with pesto! Love this simple recipe. Happy Fourth!
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says
Pesto and feta go so well together. This looks really good.
Chelsea @ TableForOne says
This recipe looks so simple and delicious. What a great twist on traditional pasta salad!
Melissa Moore Johnson says
Girl, you always know what I need exactly when I need it. Thank you!
Cashmiere says
Thanks kath! Curious….where do you buy your chicken? Is it organic? What are your thoughts on organic vs conventional meats? Curious to hear your response! Thanks 🙂 happy 4th!!
Shel@PeachyPalate says
Yum! Pesto and chicken…roasted veggie basil heaven! 🙂 Would also be amazing with shrimp! Mighty fine chicken breasts. I only buy Organic Chicken here and it’s the end of the yield so their huge as well.
Emily @ Life on Food says
Yes, yes and yes! No mayo pasta salad for me. This is everything I want and more.
Jeanine says
Wow that looks amazing!!!! I will be making this soon!!! Thanks for sharing!!
Liz @ Tip Top Shape says
This looks delicious!!!
Lisa @bitesforbabies says
I LOVE pasta salads…they are so refreshing during the summer months and I love how they taste better and better the more they sit. These are some of my personal (fave) recipes:
http://www.bitesforbabies.com/recipes/fresh-zucchini-tuna-and-tomato-pasta-salad/
http://www.bitesforbabies.com/recipes/mediterranean-farro-salad/
http://www.bitesforbabies.com/recipes/kale-and-feta-barley-salad-with-lemon-honey-balsamic-dressing/
http://www.bitesforbabies.com/recipes/italian-rice-salad/
http://www.bitesforbabies.com/recipes/minty-pea-and-prosciutto-rice-salad/
Kristina says
We just had this exact same pasta salad for dinner the other night! It’s so easy and delicious and convenient to have for leftovers : )
Kelly says
That looks delish, and no mayo so perfect for summer!
Samantha (whole new start) says
I just made a pesto chicken pasta tonight. It really is the perfect summer dinner! I’m jealous you have a garden 🙂 That zucchini looks yummy!
KathEats says
Yay!
AshleyL says
We just made this. It was fantastic! We’ve had a lot of chicken lately so I just mixed in some chickpeas. I will definitely make this again and again!