Cold Chicken Spinach Pasta Salad

Name: Cold Chicken Spinach Pasta Salad
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 3 cups pasta; 2 chicken breasts (shredded); 5 ounces spinach; 3-4 tbsp creamy roasted garlic dressing (or dressing of your choice); optional: chili flakes to top

Posted: Dec 30, 2018 Last Modified: Aug 5, 2022 by Carmy · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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This Cold Chicken Spinach Pasta Salad is the perfect easy cold meal prep idea or a dish for a potluck!

No Heat Meal Prep

At work, we have a microwave that cannot be on while the toaster oven is on. Usually, I don’t really care about waiting those few extra minutes, but sometimes I am HUN.GR.Y., so those extra minutes are precious!

Plus, with the potluck work parties, I don’t want to waste time waiting for a microwave to free up and making sure the entire pasta dish is heated all the way through for the party. So here I am, with a delicious solution!

This cold chicken spinach pasta salad is so easy to make, plus it’s a great base for a variety of pasta salads. The chicken can be swapped out with chickpeas to make this pasta salad vegetarian, and other vegetables such as cucumbers, peppers, etc can be added to the pasta salad to change it up!

Related: Want more delicious cold lunch recipes ideas from the blog? Try this Peach Quinoa Salad, Cold Chicken Pasta with Broccoli and Peas, and Mango Chili Lime Chicken Meal Prep!

What You’ll Need to Make This Chicken Pasta Salad Meal Prep

pasta — feel free to use your favourite pasta shape. I personally love bow-ties for this pasta salad as it looks adorable.
shredded chicken — take your pick on how to make your chicken. The Instant Pot method is easiest for me. You can even just shred some chicken from a store-bought rotisserie chicken and save the bones for homemade chicken stock.
spinach — I personally prefer baby spinach for this pasta salad.
my homemade creamy roasted garlic dressing (or dressing of your choice)
optional: chili flakes to top for a little extra heat.

Tips for making this pasta salad perfectly

Pasta, if tossed in dressing when warm, will soak up all the dressing and become dry and gummy. To avoid this, shock the pasta once it’s done cooking in ice water to get it cold fast (and avoid the pasta from sticking together while you wait for it to cool).
Pasta salad get better with time! After mixing the pasta salad, chill it for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Not a fan of spinach? Swap for some cooked broccoli, kale, or another green veggie of your choice.

How To Make This Pasta Salad

Following the direction on your box of pasta, cook pasta until al dente.
Cook your chicken breasts in your method of choice and shred it before setting it aside.
Once your pasta is almost done, prep a bowl of ice water to shock your pasta.
In a large bowl, toss together your spinach, shredded chicken, pasta, with creamy roasted garlic dressing (or a dressing of your choice).
Let chill before serving.

Make Ahead Tips

Meal prep: store the salads in an airtight container in the fridge. Prepped salad will last for up to 5 days.
Freezer: You can freeze the cooked chicken so you can quickly whip up this pasta salad whenever you’re craving it. Cook extra and allow the chicken and bacon to cool before transferring into an airtight container and storing them in the freezer.