High-Protein Pesto Pasta Salad with Chicken
A cold pasta salad built to carry 40 g of protein a portion, not just to fill the plate.
27 min
4 servings
Difficulty 1/5
Lunch · Dinner
Prep 15 min · Cook 12 min
Pesto is mostly oil, so a little goes a long way: four tablespoons dress the whole bowl once they are loosened with lemon and pasta water. The protein comes from cooked chicken breast and light mozzarella, which together carry more than the pasta does.
Per serving
532
kcal / serving
Ingredients
Written for 4 servings. Change the servings to rescale every amount.
Pasta, dry
250 grams
Chicken Breast, cooked
300 grams
Cherry Tomato
250 grams
Mozzarella, light
125 grams
Spinach
60 grams
Pesto
4 tablespoons (60 grams)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tablespoon (14 grams)
Lemon
15 grams
Salt
to taste
Black Pepper
to taste
Steps
Boil the pasta in well-salted water until just tender. Keep a cup of the cooking water back before draining.
12 min
Rinse the pasta under cold water and drain it properly. Cold pasta stops the pesto from going oily and the mozzarella from melting.
3 min
Stir the pesto with the olive oil, the lemon juice and two tablespoons of the pasta water into a dressing that pours.
3 min
Slice the chicken, halve the tomatoes and tear the mozzarella. Fold everything together with the spinach and season with salt and pepper.
5 min
Serving suggestion
Take it out of the fridge fifteen minutes before eating; cold dulls the pesto.
Storage
Keeps three days in the fridge and travels well in a box. Add the spinach fresh if you are making it ahead.
Notes
The pasta weight is dry. It roughly doubles when boiled.
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