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This Pesto Chicken, Corn, and Avocado Bacon Pasta Salad is the perfect quick fix salad. It’s almost no-cook and comes together in minutes. Grilled pesto chicken tossed together with a creamy, lemony parmesan dressing, fresh romaine lettuce, grilled corn, crispy bacon, and creamy avocado. This pasta is simple to toss together, super flavorful, filling, and pretty healthy too. Enjoy this for dinner and save the leftovers for lunch. Or serve this up at your next backyard dinner with friends.
I told you I was really going to lean into Memorial Day recipes this week and I wasn’t kidding! It might be dark and dreary here, but I’m not letting that stop me from sharing new summery recipes.
Like many of you, for me, Memorial Day marks the unofficial start to summer. It’s finally that time of year for low-key, lazy days, and backyard dinners with friends and family.
With last summer being so uneventful, I feel like everyone is on the same page this summer…live it up and really embrace backyard entertaining and picnics at the park. It’s exciting, right? I really missed summer entertaining and couldn’t be more excited to share some new recipes with you guys that are easy and delicious!
So with that, I’ll stop rambling and move on to this pasta!
The inspiration
Summertime as a kid meant simple dinners at our house. My dad would do a lot of grilled chicken and burgers, but his specialty, and my personal favorite, was his pasta salad.
He would do it up so simply with broccoli, peppers, basil, big chunks of cheddar cheese, lots of olive oil, and hot pasta. He’d toss everything together and the cheese would melt over the pasta. It was SO GOOD. I still, to this day use his trick of tossing hot pasta with cubes of cheddar. Hot pasta equals melty cheese, which equals extra delicious pasta. Trust me on this. I know this may not be the usual way to make a pasta salad, but it’s good!
I took Dad’s pesto grilled chicken and pasta salad and combined them together to make this delicious hybrid. It’s not a simple as my dad’s pasta, but both are equally delicious.
The details on this pesto chicken pasta
I like to start with the croutons. Every salad is made better with crunchy croutons, even a pasta salad. I love making mine with torn ciabatta or sourdough bread and flaky sea salt. They’re so easy to make, I simply crisp them up in the oven. If you can find the time, homemade vs store-bought breadcrumbs are definitely worth a little extra effort.
Now on to the chicken. I kept it easy, yet still flavorful, by simply tossing the chicken with basil pesto. Using pesto is my go-to way to add delicious flavor, yet still keep the recipe as easy as can be. And with all the fresh basil we’ve been currently growing, I’m loving making basil pesto.
I decided to throw the chicken on the grill. Grilled chicken adds that summer flare, and I love the flavor and char the chicken gets from the grill. That said, if you don’t love grilling, you can easily cook the chicken up in a skillet.
On to that creamy parmesan dressing…
This is truly one of my favorite dressings. It’s a combination of creamy tahini (sesame seed paste) or mayo. For this pasta, I used avocado oil mayo, but tahini is great too. Then I whisk in Dijon mustard and add a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce and plenty of lemon. The mayo or tahini adds creaminess, while the parmesan adds plenty of flavor. I even make this dressing right in the bottom of my salad bowl to save on dishes.
As soon as you drain the pasta, toss it with the dressing while the pasta is still steaming. Then toss in the croutons, lettuce, grilled corn, bacon, and avocado.
You can eat this warm or at room temperature, but me being the hot food lover that I am, I like this best while it’s still a little warm.
Also, though I do love this warm, the longer the pasta sits, the more flavor it develops, so this is also perfect for making ahead. My only recommendation is to wait to add the avocado so that it doesn’t get brown.
It’s as quick and easy as that. What I love most about this pasta recipe is that it really does use some of summer’s best ingredients. It might be early for corn, but we have three months ahead to make and enjoy this pasta!
Looking for other summer salad recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Pasta Salad
Pesto Chicken Caesar Salad with Tomatoes and Burrata
Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken and Avocado Bacon Salad
Lastly, if you make this Pesto Chicken, Corn, and Avocado Bacon Pasta Salad, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Pesto Chicken, Corn, and Avocado Bacon Pasta Salad
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 559 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken, cut into bite size chunks
- 1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons basil pesto, homemade or store-bought
- red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and black pepper
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup tahini or avocado oil mayo
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan
- 1 pound short cut pasta
- 1 cup cubed cheddar cheese (or parmesan)
- 2 cups croutons (see notes)
- 3 cups shredded romaine lettuce
- 4 ears grilled or steamed corn
- 6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
- 1 avocado, diced
Instructions
- 1. In a bowl, combine the chicken, 1/2 cup pesto, red pepper flakes, and a large pinch of salt. Set your grill, grill pan, or skillet to medium-high heat. Grill the chicken until lightly charred and cooked through, turning halfway through cooking, about 10 to 12 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, make the dressing. In a large salad bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, tahini or mayo, dijon, Worcestershire, parmesan, and a pinch each of red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. 3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta to al dente, according to package directions. Drain. Add the hot pasta, cheddar, and 2 tablespoons pesto and toss vigorously to combine. Add the chicken, croutons, lettuce, corn, and bacon, tossing to combine. 4. Top the pasta with avocado. Season with freshly cracked pepper and salt. Serve warm or cold.
Notes
Homemade Croutons: Preheat the oven to 425° F. Toss together 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 cups cubed bread, and a pinch of salt. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until toasted.
Sooo good! We used turkey bacon, protein pasta and we added roasted jalapeños to the mix! We’ve already shared this recipe with the family! Thank you HBH ❤️
Hey Brandy,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for trying it out! Have a great week:)
Brought this for the team when we had a full day of basketball. So much better than fast food or cold pizza! Thank you!!!
Hey Krystle,
Happy Sunday!!🍍🥥 Thank you so much for trying this recipe and your feedback, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xT
Hi, so this recipe was amazing! We absolutely loved it but, I am honestly so confused on the cheese with the hot pasta! My cheddar cubes did not melt. Is the cheese suppose to melt into a sauce or stay in chunks!
I am wanting to try out a newer recipe you posted and not sure what to do the next time! Thanks for the help!
Hey Sally,
Wonderful!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for making it! The cheese is not meant to melt. Have a great weekend:)
When your husband says this is a winner, and you’re going to have to make it again when the kids visit you know it’s a hit at our house! We don’t put many recipes on repeat, but this was phenomenal!
I did take a clue from some of the reviewer’s and cut the pasta in half, but kept the same amount of sauce. I followed your recipe and was thinking I would substitute the Romaine for spinach from my garden. I’m glad I kept it true to what you had written Tieghan as you amazed me with this one.
Thank you!
Hey Sharon,
Awesome!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
We made a few alterations to the recipe but really enjoyed it! We are vegetarian so we made some substitutions—used zucchini in place of chicken and tempeh bacon. We used arugula in place of romaine and skipped the cheddar and croutons. Super tasty—made more than we needed!
Hey Alex,
Fantastic!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I’m so glad it was delish! Have a great weekend:) xx
Cubed parm? Or shredded/grated?
Hi Anne,
The recipe calls for grated Parmesan:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Is there anything that you would recommend using in replacement of the Dijon? I don’t like mustard but this looks delicious otherwise!!
Hi Alex,
I would just go ahead and omit the dijon. Let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
Listen, when I first saw this recipe I thought, “Wow, there’s a lot going on there. Pasta with lettuce? Pasta AND croutons? Pesto AND a dressing?” …but then I thought, “Has Tieghan ever steered me wrong?” so I went for it and I was NOT disappointed. This is one of my favorite HBH recipes yet. So fresh and flavorful without being too heavy. The PERFECT summer dish.
Hey Alanna,
Happy Friday!? Thanks a lot for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was a winner! xx
This was very tasty! I didn’t do the croutons, extra cheddar/park or avocado. I added grilled zucchini and cherry tomatoes to the mix and it was perfect! I also used a mix of Banza pasta and regular bc that’s what I had for the amount. This will be a regular summer meal! Thanks ?
Failed to mention I agree with pasta amount – 8 oz would be fine. A little more sauce as well.
Hey Kara,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! Have the best weekend! xxT
Delicious, but I would alter proportions.
I felt like the salad didn’t have enough dressing….I would cut the amount of pasta to 3/4.
I have done this with cheddar but think the Parmesan would be a better flavor.
Thank you Trieghan!
Hi Debra,
Amazing!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it and sharing your review! xxT
Our favorite summer pasta salad recipe! Even better the next day 🙂
Hey Stacey,
Amazing!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it and sharing your review! xxT
This salad is my new favorite! I’m making it weekly! I love it so much!
Hey Lauren,
Happy Friday! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was a hit! xTieghan
Hi, is there something I could sub for Worcestershire sauce?
Thanks!
Hi Megan,
You could use some soy sauce:) Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
I made this for my family tonight and it was incredible. I love every recipe I make of yours but this might be a new favorite. It took me lots of time and lots of pots and pans but I wasn’t in a rush. If I wanted to shortcut it for a busier night, I would used frozen or canned corn and pre cooked bacon/bacon bits. I cooked it exactly as the recipe says and we all thought it was delicious! Thank you!
Hey Kate,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback and making this recipe! Hope you’re off to a great weekend! xTieghan
Made this tonight!oh my it was so good! The sweet corn balances the bacon! These ingredients were such a nice combination and something I wouldn’t have come up with to mix with a pesto flavor! Thank you for the recipe ??
Hi Shannon,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for sharing your review and making this recipe. Love to hear that it was a winner! xxT
Perfection! I loved how everything came together. I used regular miracle whip instead of avocado oil mayo and it was excellent. Next time I would try making the homemade croutons with it.
Hi Janessa,
Love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it and sharing your feedback! ??xTieghan