Honey Mustard Chicken Pasta (Printable)
Tender chicken and al dente pasta tossed with crisp veggies in a creamy honey mustard dressing.
# What You'll Need:
→ For the Salad
01 - 2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 9 oz pasta (penne, rotini, or farfalle)
03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
05 - 1 cup red bell pepper, diced
06 - 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
07 - 2 cups baby spinach or mixed greens
→ For the Honey Mustard Dressing
08 - 1/4 cup mayonnaise
09 - 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
10 - 2 tablespoons honey
11 - 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
12 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
13 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ For Cooking the Chicken
14 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
15 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
16 - Salt and pepper, to taste
# How To Make:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, rinse under cold water, and set aside.
02 - While the pasta cooks, season the chicken breasts with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 6 to 7 minutes per side, or until cooked through and golden brown. Let rest for 5 minutes, then cut into bite-sized cubes.
03 - In a bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, honey, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste.
04 - In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta, chicken, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, and spinach. Drizzle with the honey mustard dressing and toss gently to coat evenly.
05 - Garnish with fresh herbs if desired. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The dressing doubles as a marinade if you want even deeper flavor, so keep that trick in your back pocket.
- Everything comes together in forty minutes with zero fancy equipment beyond a pot, a pan, and a whisk.
02 -
- Do not skip rinsing the pasta under cold water, because warm pasta will continue cooking itself and turn mushy in the salad.
- The dressing thickens considerably after chilling, so make it slightly looser than you think it needs to be on day one.
03 -
- Cut all your vegetables roughly the same size as the pasta pieces so every forkful has a balanced mix of everything.
- Make the dressing up to three days ahead and keep it in a jar in the fridge, then toss the salad together fresh when you need it.