Enjoy this delicious ranch chicken pasta salad for lunch, dinner or serve it at a BBQ or picnic. It's a great make ahead dish that everyone will love!
The dressing is creamy and full of flavour, and combined with tender chicken, pasta, fresh vegetables and the occasional crunch from the toasted hazelnuts, it's just perfect.
Tips
- Make ahead – you can easily make this pasta salad ahead so that the flavours infuse.
- Cooked chicken – if you don’t already have cooked chicken, either shop bought, leftover from a roast, or a rotisserie chicken, I like to poach the breasts. Season both sides of each breast with salt and pepper, then put them in a small saucepan on a high heat along with a chicken stock cube (crumbled) or pot. Pour in 500ml of cold water, stir, and when the water begins to boil, lower the heat to a simmer and cook the chicken for 18 minutes (turning once, halfway through cooking). Remove the chicken and set it aside to cool on a plate before cutting it into cubes. Transfer the stock to a jug or container for using in another recipe that requires chicken stock – it’ll have extra flavour!
- Toasted hazelnuts – spread the nuts in a single layer in a frying pan or skillet and cover over a medium or medium low heat for 3 to 5 minutes, continually stirring.
- This ranch chicken pasta salad recipe is easily adapted if you’re cooking for less or more people.
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How to make this Ranch Chicken Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 300g fresh or dried pasta of your choice (I like penne, rigatoni, spirali, fusilli or farfalle for this recipe)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cooked chicken breasts (approx. 450 to 500g), cut into cubes (see Tips)
- 50g frozen sweetcorn, defrosted in hot tap water and drained
- 50g frozen peas or petit pois, defrosted in hot tap water and drained
- 1 red pepper, deseeded and finely diced
- a handful of hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped, to garnish (see Tips, optional)
For the ranch dressing:
- 100g mayonnaise (Heinz Light is my favourite!)
- 100g soured cream
- 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp garlic granules
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- a handful of fresh dill, finely chopped or 0.5 tsp dried dill
- a handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped or 0.5 tsp dried parsley
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the pack instructions. Drain and refresh with cold water. Transfer to a large bowl, toss with the olive oil and allow to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, make the dressing - whisk the mayonnaise, soured cream, white wine vinegar, garlic granules, Worcestershire sauce, herbs and some seasoning in a bowl, then chill.
- Add the cubes of chicken, sweetcorn, peas and diced pepper to the pasta, drizzle over the dressing and gently stir to combine. Garnish with the toasted chopped hazelnuts (if using)…and enjoy!
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Ranch Chicken Pasta Salad
The dressing is creamy and full of flavour, and combined with tender chicken, pasta, fresh vegetables and the occasional crunch from the toasted hazelnuts, it's just perfect!
Ingredients
- 300 g (10.6 oz) fresh or dried pasta of your choice (I like penne, rigatoni, spirali, fusilli or farfalle for this recipe)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cooked chicken breasts (approx. 450 to 500g) cut into cubes (see Tips)
- 50g g (1.8 oz) frozen sweetcorn defrosted in hot tap water and drained
- 5 g (0.2 oz) frozen peas or petit pois defrosted in hot tap water and drained
- 1 red pepper deseeded and finely diced
- a handful of hazelnuts toasted and roughly chopped, to garnish (see Tips, optional)
For the ranch dressing:
- 100 g (½ cup) mayonnaise (Heinz Light is my favourite!)
- 100 g (½ cup) soured cream
- 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp garlic granules
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- a handful of fresh dill finely chopped or 0.5 tsp dried dill
- a handful of flat leaf parsley chopped or 0.5 tsp dried parsley
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the pack instructions. Drain and refresh with cold water. Transfer to a large bowl, toss with the olive oil and allow to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, make the dressing - whisk the mayonnaise, soured cream, white wine vinegar, garlic granules, Worcestershire sauce, herbs and some seasoning in a bowl, then chill.
- Add the cubes of chicken, sweetcorn, peas and diced pepper to the pasta, drizzle over the dressing and gently stir to combine. Garnish with the toasted chopped hazelnuts (if using)…and enjoy!
Notes
- Make ahead – you can easily make this pasta salad ahead so that the flavours infuse.
- Cooked chicken – if you don’t already have cooked chicken, either shop bought, leftover from a roast, or a rotisserie chicken, I like to poach the breasts. Season both sides of each breast with salt and pepper, then put them in a small saucepan on a high heat along with a chicken stock cube (crumbled) or pot. Pour in 500ml of cold water, stir, and when the water begins to boil, lower the heat to a simmer and cook the chicken for 18 minutes (turning once, halfway through cooking). Remove the chicken and set it aside to cool on a plate before cutting it into cubes. Transfer the stock to a jug or container for using in another recipe that requires chicken stock – it’ll have extra flavour!
- Toasted hazelnuts – spread the nuts in a single layer in a frying pan or skillet and cover over a medium or medium low heat for 3 to 5 minutes, continually stirring.
- This ranch chicken pasta salad recipe is easily adapted if you’re cooking for less or more people.
Nutrition
Calories: 743kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 329mg | Potassium: 612mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1245IU | Vitamin C: 42mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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