with chewy pasta, nutty Parmesan and buttery mozzarella for INSANELY DELICIUS CHICKEN PASTA SALAD!
BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE: No heavy pasta salad here! The balsamic vinaigrette is seeping with complex savory, tangy, slightly sweet, herbaceous notes that is dizzyingly delicious.
JUICY, FLAVORFUL CHICKEN: The chunks of chicken are tossed in some of the balsamic vinaigrette while you prep your pasta salad ingredients for extra tender, extra flavorful chicken.
CUSTOMIZABLE: Make the dressing as sweet or tangy as you like, add your favorite veggies, add more or less cheese or omit altogether to make it YOUR Best Chicken Pasta Salad recipe.
MAKE AHEAD FRIENDLY: The pasta salad and the vinaigrette can be prepared separately then tossed when ready to serve.
Pasta Salad with Chicken Ingredients
This Chicken Salad recipe is made with easy-to-find ingredients. Let’s take a closer look at what you’ll need (full recipe in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post):
FOR THE Pasta Salad:
Pasta: Any medium pasta shape will work like cavatappi pasta, farfalle, fusilli or rotini.
Chicken: Use boneless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs that have been cut into large bite-sized pieces.
Roma tomatoes: Choose ripe but not overly soft tomatoes. Slice them into wedges, then slice the seeds out before chopping.
Basil: Measure ¼ cup packed basil leaves and then chop it.
Garlic: Please use fresh garlic for this recipe!I use 6 cloves garlic for a real garlic kick, but use more or less depending on your garlic love.
Onion:  ½ red onion adds a rich sweetness. You may substitute with shallots if needed.
Mozzarella pearls: Look for these with the specialty cheeses. If you can’t locate them, chop fresh mozzarella.
Parmesan cheese:  This infuses the pasta salad with its fantastic salty, nuttiness. For best results, use ONLY freshly grated Parmesan cheese.  It is much more flavorful than pre-shredded cheese.
Croutons: These represent the bread in bruschetta! Look for garlic herb croutons for extra flavor.
For the vinaigrette:
Balsamic vinegar: Look for balsamic Vinegar of Modena I.G.P.with the yellow-and-blue I.G.P. stamp (it shows two hillsides in a ring of stars). The vinegar can be designated “aged” if it has fermented for more than three years – a great sign. Some reputable brands include:ColavitaDue Vittorie Oro Gold,Oliviers & Co and my top recommendation: Giuseppe Giusti Gran Deposito.
Olive oil: Use quality extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor. 
Honey: Mild clover honey balances out the tangy balsamic with a touch of sweetness.
Dijon mustardI promise it won’t make your chicken pasta salad recipe taste like mustard! It adds a depth of tanginess.
Spices: Dried oregano, dried basil, and red pepper flakes inject the vinaigrette with a rainbow of flavor.  And yes, we want dried basil in addition to the fresh basil.
Italian Chicken Pasta Salad variations
There is no right or wrong way to make this easy Chicken Pasta Salad recipe as long as it’s right for YOU! Try using a different pasta, mixing up the vegetables, etc.
Use tortellini: Tortellini is one of my favorite pastas for salads!
Use rotisserie chicken: Use about 3 cups shredded chicken and toss it with 2 tablespoons marinade.
Swap protein: Use chicken sausage, roasted or sautéed shrimp or leftover chicken, pork, or steak.  Toss protein with 2 tablespoons reserved dressing/marinade as instructed in the recipe.
Add veggies: Add anything your heart desires such as asparagus,mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, or spinach. 
Add-ins: Try sun-dried tomatoes,roasted bell peppers, artichokes, olives, capers, etc.
Add nuts: Pine nuts or sliced almonds would be delish.
Make it spicy: Increase the red pepper flakes to ½ teaspoon or add additional crushed red pepper flakes to individual servings.
Use additional Parmesan:  Add more or less to taste depending on how Parmesan forward you would like your chicken pasta salad,
Make it dairy free: Omit the Parmesan and mozzarella or use your favorite dairy free substitutes.
Make it gluten-free: Use gluten-free pasta (Tinkyada is great brand), sweet potato noodles, zoodles or even spaghetti squash. 
Make it vegetarian:  Omit the chicken or swap it for tofu, mushrooms or additional vegetables.
Make it vegan: Use vegan honey or brown sugar in place of the honey and dairy free Parmesan cheese and mozzarella or omit the cheeses completely.