This lemon chicken pasta salad is the perfect spring and summer dish. Artichokes, pine nuts and parmesan make this delicious! Prepare it ahead of time and everyone loves it.

Oh how I live for a good pasta salad.

lemon chicken artichoke pasta salad

Did you know I really didn’t care for pasta salad at all until a few years ago? I do not love the traditional italian style pasta salad. But I do love heartier pasta salads with a homemade vinaigrette and lots of my favorite add-ins. Which just so happens to not be salami.

Grilled chicken, artichokes, parmesan, lemon vinaigrette and lots of herbs. DELISH.

lemon chicken artichoke pasta salad ingredients

This pasta salad is going to be your new BFF for 2022. If you need a dish to take to a friend’s house, a potluck, make for a BBQ or have as a delish side at home with dinner, this is it. It’s filling and flavorful and superb!

Everyone loves it too, so there is that. 

chopped grilled chicken

This is what you need for the lemon chicken pasta salad:

  • Your favorite cut of pasta. You know how much I love this trottole! I used to find it at Target, but now I get it on amazon. 
  • Grilled chicken or even a rotisserie chicken. Leftover chicken works too. Shredded or chopped. 
  • A can of artichoke hearts, of course.
  • Pine nuts! All toasty and golden and fragrant. 
  • Parmesan cheese. In what is one of the ONLY times I will ever recommend bagged cheese, I actually prefer a store-bought parmesan that has larger shreds that I make at home. I find that it holds up really well in the pasta salad, especially overnight or in leftovers.
  • Fresh herbs! I’m always partial to basil and parsley when it comes to a dish like this.
  • Lemon vinaigrette. One of my go-to dressings. It’s easy and works with a lot of different dishes. It’s mild but has a hint of spring flavor that can’t be beat. 

lemon chicken artichoke pasta salad

Oh and yes… I realize I’m heavily on the lemon + herb + artichoke train right now. And pasta train! But this combo is just incredibly delicious come spring. It’s the first flavor mash up I think of when the weather starts warming up and I love that it can be taken all through summer too! 

pouring dressing on lemon chicken artichoke pasta salad

Guess what? This recipe is another one from the Nordstrom e-bar. I KNOW. I have a few of those and they are some of my favorites. I’ve done the tortellini salad and then their cauliflower and hummus from the cafe

Back in the fall, I saw a container of this lemon artichoke chicken pasta in the e-bar. I grabbed it because the combo sounded delicious. It ended up being good, but I knew I could make it even better. I had many many months of testing this recipe considering I first created it half a year ago. It was difficult to wait to share this because I want you all to enjoy it.

lemon chicken artichoke pasta salad

Every year I tend to create a recipe that we end up taking EVERYWHERE. It becomes the hit of the summer.

Right now, that is this recipe! It’s so incredibly versatile. I love that you can make the entire thing ahead of time. You can even dress it ahead of time. It gets better as it sits, actually.

lemon chicken artichoke pasta salad

The texture is phenomenal. I love the little bites of crunch from the pine nuts. The tangy lemony dressing. The chewy pasta and cheese. This seriously has everything I want in a pasta salad.

lemon chicken artichoke pasta salad

It’s fantastic as a party side dish, but also lovely as part of your dinner tonight. ENJOY.

lemon chicken artichoke pasta salad

Lemon Chicken Pasta Salad

Lemon Chicken Artichoke Pasta Salad

This lemon chicken pasta salad is the perfect spring and summer dish. Artichokes, pine nuts and parmesan make this delicious! Prepare it ahead of time and everyone loves it.
5 from 93 votes
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Ingredients

  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • kosher salt and pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon oregano.
  • ½ cup pine nuts
  • 1 pound short-cut pasta, cooked
  • 1 14 ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained
  • ¾ cup shredded parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup chopped fresh herbs, like parsley and basil

vinaigrette

Instructions 

  • Preheat your grill to the highest setting.
  • Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Stir together the garlic powder, oregano and smoked paprika and sprinkle on both sides of the chicken. Place the chicken on the grill and cook for 5 to 6 minutes each side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. You can also bake the chicken or use a shredded rotisserie chicken! Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes then chop it into 1-inch pieces.
  • Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to the directions. While that cooks, toast the pine nuts.
  • Place the pine nuts in a nonstick skillet and toast over low heat, stirring often, until golden. This will take about 6 to 8 minutes. Don’t walk away - they will burn.
  • Place the pasta in a large bowl. Top with the chicken, artichoke hearts, parmesan cheese, pine nuts and fresh herbs. Drizzle with half of the vinaigrette and toss well. Taste and drizzle on more of hte vinaigrette, continuing to toss so the dressing is easily distributed. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
  • Serve! You can make this ahead of time (up to 24 hours ahead) and store it in the fridge. Leftovers are great too.

vinaigrette

  • In a bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, zest, dijon, honey, garlic, salt and pepper. Continue to whisk while streaming in the olive oil. You can make this dressing a day ahead of time and store it in the fridge.
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lemon chicken artichoke pasta salad

Perfect bite.