Green Goddess Chicken Pasta Salad Recipe with Creamy Herb Dressing

Green Goddess Chicken Pasta Salad made with bowtie pasta, chicken, and a creamy, tangy herb dressing you’ll want to put on everything!

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Green Goddess Chicken Pasta Salad

Why You’ll Love Green Goddess Chicken Pasta Salad:

  • A super simple pasta salad with outstanding flavor.
  • This might be the best green goddess dressing you’ll ever taste.
  • An easy salad to whip up for dinner, lunch, or meal prep for the week.

Warmer days are returning, and this Green Goddess Chicken Pasta Salad is a fresh, flavorful way to welcome spring and summer. It uses simple ingredients and comes together quickly, making it ideal for casual dinners, packed lunches, or potlucks.

If you haven’t tried green goddess dressing before, think of it as a bright, herb-forward cousin to Caesar: creamy and tangy with plenty of fresh herb flavor. It dresses pasta and chicken beautifully and also doubles as a delicious sauce for green salads, grilled fish, or roasted vegetables.

Pasta Ingredients:

  • Cooked chicken breast
  • Cooked bowtie (farfalle) pasta
  • Parmesan cheese

Dressing Ingredients:

  • Mayo
  • Sour cream
  • Milk
  • Fresh herbs: basil, parsley, chives, dill
  • Prepared pesto
  • White wine vinegar
  • Lemon juice
  • Honey or agave
  • Ground black pepper

Bowl of pasta salad with green goddess dressing

Add Veggies to bulk up the nutrition:

This salad is versatile—add your favorite vegetables to boost color, texture, and nutrition. Great choices include asparagus, peas, broccoli, cucumbers, and tomatoes. For firmer vegetables, blanching them in boiling water for 1–2 minutes softens them slightly and keeps their bright color.

Chicken options:

The green goddess dressing is the star, so the type of chicken is flexible. Slow cooker chicken seasoned with Italian dressing works well, as does grilled chicken, leftover roast chicken, or store-bought rotisserie chicken—use whatever is convenient.

How to make Green Goddess Chicken Pasta Salad:

Step 1. Add all dressing ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. If the dressing is too thick, add milk, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.

Step 2. In a large bowl combine cooked pasta and chicken. Pour the dressing over the pasta and toss to coat. Stir in ½ cup grated Parmesan, toss again, then garnish with the remaining ¼ cup Parmesan. Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve.

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes—this salad holds up well for make-ahead meals and leftovers. For the creamiest texture, serve soon after tossing with the dressing; if making ahead, store chilled and give it a quick stir before serving.


Serving of green goddess chicken pasta salad

Other Pasta Salad Recipes You Might Enjoy:

  • Pasta Salad with Homemade Italian Dressing
  • Spring Pasta Salad with Peas and Asparagus
  • Southwest Pasta Salad with Avocado Ranch Dressing
  • Bruschetta Pasta Salad with Sweet Balsamic Dressing
Green Goddess Chicken Pasta Salad thumbnail

Green Goddess Chicken Pasta Salad

This flavor-packed Green Goddess Chicken Pasta Salad features tender bowtie pasta, chicken, and a tangy herb dressing—perfect for potlucks, BBQs, or a simple lunch.
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: American, Italian
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 5 servings
Calories: 519kcal

Ingredients

Pasta ingredients:

  • 1 pound cooked chicken breast, cut into chunks or shredded
  • 8 ounces bowtie pasta, cooked al dente rinse pasta with cold water after cooking
  • ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Dressing ingredients:

  • ¼ cup mayo
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 1 cup fresh basil
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley
  • ¼ cup fresh chives
  • 2 tablespoon fresh dill
  • 2 tablespoon prepared pesto
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • ½ small lemon, juiced
  • 1 teaspoon agave or honey
  • 1-2 tablespoon milk
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • kosher salt to taste

Instructions

  • Add all the dressing ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Add more milk if it’s too thick.

Tip:

  • Taste the dressing before adding salt. Mayo and pesto are often well seasoned so you may not need additional salt.
  • Combine cooked pasta and chicken in a large bowl. Pour in the dressing and toss to coat. Add ½ cup Parmesan, toss again, then garnish with the remaining ¼ cup Parmesan before serving.

Notes

Tips:

Chicken Options –

Use slow cooker chicken, grilled chicken, leftovers, or rotisserie chicken—whatever you have on hand.

Add veggies –

Favorite additions include asparagus, peas, broccoli, cucumbers, and tomatoes. Blanch firmer veggies for 1–2 minutes to soften slightly.

Make ahead –

This salad can be made ahead and is great as leftovers. For the creamiest result, serve soon after dressing.

Nutritional information is provided as an estimate and should be used as a guideline only.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 5
Amount per serving
Calories 519
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 31.4g 40%
Saturated Fat 10g 50%
Cholesterol 51mg 17%
Sodium 596mg 26%
Total Carbohydrate 36.3g 13%
Dietary Fiber 2.2g 8%
Total Sugars 5.3g
Protein 20.1g
Vitamin D 0mcg 0%
Calcium 341mg 26%
Iron 2mg 9%
Potassium 223mg 5%

Nutrition

Calories: 519kcal

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