A creamy, dairy free chicken avocado pasta salad that’s ready in just 15 minutes!
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When it comes to pasta, there are so many ways to make it delicious. But cold pasta salads are often overlooked! For me it’s one of my favourite things to pack for a lunch on the go. This creamy chicken avocado pasta can be mixed up in just 15 minutes and scaled up or down into a big or small batch. A super easy, healthy meal and great way to use up leftover cooked chicken. It also happens to be completely gluten and dairy free.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need
- Gluten free pasta – I use fusilli but go for your fave.
- Cooked chicken – I usually go for the whole roasted chicken breasts with the skin on or rotisserie chicken.
- Avocado – pick ones that are nice and ripe.
- Cherry tomatoes
- Fresh basil – don’t skip this, it’s such a tasty addition!
- Mayo – that’s right, no cream! The Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise I use is dairy free.
- Lemon juice
- Dijon mustard
- Mixed herbs
- Honey
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
How to make chicken avocado pasta
There a just 3 very simple steps. 1- boil the pasta. 2- chop the cooked chicken, avocado, tomato and basil. 3- mix up the dressing. Then all that’s left to do is combine everything in a big bowl and you’ve got yourself the perfect pasta salad.
Can you eat it hot?
I just love the combo of a cold chicken pasta salad with a creamy mayo dressing, but if you’re more of a hot pasta person this can totally work for you too! There are just a few tweaks you’ll need to make. Firstly, boil the pasta for about 1 minute less than stated on the packet instructions. Once you’ve boiled and drained the pasta, you of course don’t want to run it under cold water. Instead, return it to the saucepan and add the chopped chicken, salad and dressing. Stir frequently over a medium heat until the chicken is completely heated through (about 4-5 minutes).
How to cook gluten free pasta
Gluten free pasta can notoriously become a little dry and sticky when served cold, but I have a few top tips that will prevent this! When boiling the pasta, add a glug of olive oil along with a generous pinch of salt. For the first minute or so of the pasta’s cooking, stir the pan constantly. This really helps to stop the pasta clumping together and keeps it tender.
What to serve with your chicken avocado pasta
This is of course a great complete meal in itself, but pasta salad can also work as a side dish if you’re doing a big buffet-style spread or summer barbecue. Here are some things that pair well with that delicious chicken, avocado and tomato:
- Garlic bread
- Roasted Mediterranean veg
- Sweet potato fries
- Sautéed greens – think broccoli, kale, green beans
- Corn on the cob
How long does chicken pasta salad last in the fridge?
You can store this in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
I hope you’ll love this simple pasta salad with chicken and avocado. Using precooked meat really is a great hack for a speedy meal and that creamy mayo dressing is so full of flavour! If you give this a try, don’t forget to let me know how you got on by leaving a comment and rating below. You can also tag me in photos of your foodie creations on Instagram @BlueSkyEating. Enjoy! 🙂
Looking for more easy dinner recipes?
Why not try:
- Balsamic Sausage and Veg Traybake
- Cheesy Chorizo Gnocchi
- Dairy Free Pasta Bake
- Tofu Miso & Peanut Noodles
Chicken Avocado Pasta
Ingredients
- 250 g gluten free pasta (I used fusilli)
- 300 g cooked chicken
- 2 large ripe avocados
- 16 cherry tomatoes
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tsp honey
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp mixed herbs
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- 2 tbsp fresh basil
Instructions
- Boil the gluten free pasta as per the packet instructions. Add a generous pinch of salt and a glug of olive oil to the water and stir the pasta for about the first minute of cooking. This really helps to stop it sticking together!
- Whilst the pasta cooks, prep your other ingredients. Slice and chicken and avocado into chunks and the tomatoes into halves. Finely chop the basil.
- Make the dressing. Add the mayo, lemon juice, honey, olive oil, mustard and mixed herbs to a bowl and mix well. Add some seasoning to taste.
- Once the pasta has cooked, drain it and run it under cold water until no longer hot.
- Transfer the pasta to a large mixing bowl. Add the chopped chicken, avocado, tomatoes and basil. Then pour in the dressing and give everything a good mix.
Please note that nutritional information is based on estimated quantities and therefore not always 100% accurate.
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