Perfect for hot summer days, this easy chicken pepperoni pasta salad is just what you need! Plus, this pasta salad is great for meal preps if you have don’t have access to a microwave.
Chicken Pepperoni Pasta Salad
Hello heat wave! It’s been preeeeetty bad lately. Every time I stepped outside, it felt like I was walking into a sauna. I didn’t really feel like cooking and had been craving pizza but the last thing I really wanted to do was eat something hot for lunch while the temperature was 30+C (86+F). That’s when I whipped up this chicken pepperoni pasta salad. It’s a healthier take on pizza as it becomes a salad and it’s cold! It’s also perfect as a cold work lunch or a potluck/picnic pasta to make.
To go with the chicken pepperoni pasta salad, I mixed together my own lemon garlic dressing. I’ve started making my own dressings recently whenever I had time so I would know what was in it and cuts down on the calories. It’s actually pretty easy – I mixed together some minced garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, mustard powder, and salt/pepper. Pretty much all the ingredients that were already in my kitchen.
What You’ll Need To Make This Chicken Pepperoni Pasta Salad
You don’t need much to make this pasta salad, all you need is:
- pasta
- spinach
- pepperoni
- chicken
- mozzarella
For the lemon garlic salad dressing, you’ll need:
- garlic
- lemon (juice/zest)
- olive oil
- salt/pepper
- mustard powder
Tips on making the perfect chicken pepperoni pasta salad
- I use these Glasslock square airtight containers to keep the pasta salads fresh
- I use these small mason jars to store my salad dressing. I keep it in the fridge separate from the pasta salad until the morning and drizzle around a tablespoon into the meal prep. This keeps the spinach from getting soggy as it won’t be sitting in dressing for a few days in the fridge. I keep my homemade dressing for up to a week in the fridge – if the dressing solidifies in the fridge, just leave at room temperature for a few minutes and it should be fine
- If you want to mix it up, you can switch out the spinach and add in mixed greens or peas/beans or broccoli! You can also switch out the mozzarella for whatever cheese you have on hand as well. This pasta salad is very versatile!
Chicken Pepperoni Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Garlic Lemon Salad Dressing
- 1 cloves garlic, minced
- 1.5 tbsp lemon zest
- 1/4 tsp ground mustard
- 1 juice of lemon
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
Chicken Pepperoni Pasta Salad
- 300 grams pasta, cooked
- 2 chicken breast, cooked and shredded
- 1/4 mozzarella ball, cut into small pieces
- 15-20 pepperoni slices, cut into halves
- 4 oz spinach, cut
Instructions
Garlic Lemon Salad Dressing
- Add all the ingredients into a small mason jar and whisk to combine everything (or seal and shake the jar). Set aside to add the the pasta salad on the day of.
Chicken Pepperoni Pasta Salad
- In your meal prep containers or a large container, mix together your pasta, shredded chicken, mozzarella, pepperoni slices, and spinach.
- Before bringing your meal prep pasta to work or serving, drizzle on 1 tbsp of salad dressing per serving.
Nutrition Per Serving
Resources and Tips for Make Ahead Lunches
- Meal Prep 101
- How To Cook Chicken Breasts Perfectly
- What Is An Instant Pot
- Tips To Help You Meal Prep For The Week Successfully
WANT MORE MEAL PREPS?
- Spicy Peanut Beef with Broccoli Rice Meal Prep
- Spicy Peanut Chicken Wraps
- Healthy Turkey Taco Meal Prep Bowl
- Freezer Friendly Whole Chicken Meal Prep
- Healthy Greek Chicken and Rice Meal Prep
- Vietnamese Bun Cha Inspired Meatballs Meal Prep
- Yogurt with Fruit and Homemade Granola Breakfast Meal Prep
- Breakfast Wonton Egg Cups
Other places to connect with me
Instagram: @runcarmyrun @curiouslychasing @carmyshungry
Twitter: https://twitter.com/runcarmyrun
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carmyycom
Email: [email protected]
Vlogs/Recipe Videos: Youtube
Debra Klein
Sounds like the perfect summer go-to salad. I love that it can be made in advance and you gave wonderful and clear tips about storing the dressing separately. Perfect for the pot-luck I’m going to. Thanks for sharing.
Tracy Koslicki
Oh my gosh, yes this heat! The last thing you want to do is cook, especially pizza. What a great (and healthier) solution!!
Gloria
Love the sound of this salad. This would be great for BBQ parties. I know it would disappear in a flash. I think I could make a meal on this alone. Delicious.
Lisa
I agree – it’s too hot to cook out and salads have quickly become my go-to form of sustenance these last few weeks. The pepperoni and chicken in this dish really take it to the next level, too. Love those cute little containers and jars you’ve found for the meal prep too. That makes lunches so much easier.
Miranda
This is brilliant! I love pasta salad and pizza but would have never thought to put them together and make them into a cold salad. I’m totally down for avoiding hot meals in this heat. I’m also digging that you made a homemade garlic lemon salad dressing to drizzle on it.
Megan Marlowe
Why have I never thought to combine chicken with pepperoni!? This looks amazing, fresh and super easy. Now that’s my kind of meal. Perfect for summer nights! Bonus because my kids will absolutely love it too!!
Kris
Wow! This is such a great salad for BBQs and outdoor parties. Love the recipe and absolutely will be making this. I need something for this weekend, and this fits the bill perfectly. Yum.
Amanda
Pepperoni in pasta salad takes me to our family picnics when I was a child! My mom always made one with pepperoni and it was a hit at our picnics and barbecues. I love that you have chicken in yours as well, and that homemade dressing sounds divine! What a great summer lunch idea, especially for entertaining, or prepping ahead and packing.
Marisa Franca
This is the perfect salad for a summer picnic, potluck, or gathering. I like that you use a light dressing on it rather than one of those heavy bottled ones. Homemade is so much better! And I think the addition of the pepperoni adds a nice zip to the dish. My family would gobble this up.
Dana
I love this, Carmy! This is such a great way to turn the humdrum idea of salad into something fun; something to look forward to at lunch! Salads can be exciting, it’s just kind of easy to run out of ideas after a while. But this! This really amps things up. Even better than you can prep them in advance.