Bright, lemony, garlicky, cheesy, and too many other descriptors to name make this chicken pasta salad an exciting addition to my blog’s growing high protein pasta salad collection.
It combines chicken breast and protein pasta with a lemon garlic dressing and high volume stars like spinach and artichoke to create HUGE servings. Nearly two cups, to be precise. And each one has 24g protein, 7g fiber, and only 355 calories!
Part 1: Air Fried Chicken Breast
Toss a large chicken breast with olive oil and a seasoning of your choice. Pop it in an air fryer and cook for 12-15 minutes at 375ºF.
Seasoning note: I used a tablespoon of Trader Joe’s aglio olio seasoning blend, which is a blend of minced garlic, sea salt, dried parsley, and peppers. It has about 1,380mg of sodium per tablespoon, for comparison. Lemon pepper and other citrusy garlic seasonings would be my recommended substitutes.
Part 2: Prepare Veggies and Pasta
Cook twelve ounces of pasta in salted water until it’s almost al dente before draining and rinsing. This prevents the pasta from going mushy once it’s mixed with all the other ingredients.
Pasta Note: I used Brami protein pasta, which is an Italian wheat and lupini bean hybrid pasta. It has an extra 5g protein and 3g fiber per two-ounce serving compared to standard wheat pasta.
Veggies Note: While the recipe calls for baby spinach and parsley, other leafy greens like kale and herbs like basil would work well in this pasta salad. The artichokes are optional, but I love the added volume and fiber (and flavor).
Part 3: Mix and Serve
Just make sure the pasta and chicken have mostly cooled first to keep the greens bright and crisp. Season to taste with salt and pepper, hit it with a little freshly grated parmesan, and dig in!
I mentioned my high protein pasta salad collection above. If that peaks your interest, check out my tangy deli style, cottage cheese pesto, and creamy feta pasta salads. They all use the same Brami protein pasta, so you can stock up on your next grocery haul.
Hope you love ’em all, but especially this spinach and artichoke version. I’m fairly certain it’s my favorite of the bunch. Let me know if you need help with anything in the comments. Otherwise, happy cooking and enjoy the sunshine and warm weather! – Mason
Lemon Parmesan Chicken Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 8 oz Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
- ½ Tablespoon (8g) Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Trader Joe's Aglio Olio Seasoning, see notes for substitutes*
For the Pasta Salad
- 12 oz (dry) Protein Pasta
- 5 oz Baby Spinach, chopped
- 2 handfuls Parsley or Basil, chopped
- 1 ¼ cup (5 oz) Grated Parmesan
- 1 can (15 oz) Artichoke Hearts, drained and chopped
For the Dressing
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Coarse Dijon Mustard
- 2 Lemons, zest of 1, juice of both
- 1-2 Frozen Crushed Garlic Cubes, or 1-2 cloves freshly crushed garlic
- Black Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the chicken. Toss the chicken breast in olive oil and the seasoning blend. Air fry for 12-15 minutes at 375ºF until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF. Let the chicken rest at least 5 minutes before dicing.
- Cook the pasta in a pot of salted boiling water just shy of al dente before draining and rinsing with cold water. (I cooked Brami protein pasta for 8 minutes.)
- Mix the dressing ingredients together before adding to the cooked pasta. Add the parmesan, cooked and diced chicken breast, and chopped spinach, parsley, and artichoke. Toss everything together and season with salt and black pepper.
- Serve fresh or store in airtight containers for up to 2-3 days.
