TUE LUNCH · FROM THE VIDEO
Pesto Chicken Pasta Salad
- 25 min
- 8 min with Sunday prep
- 1–4 servings
- 480 kcal
- 36g protein
A cool, satisfying pasta salad that turns Costco rotisserie chicken and jarred pesto into a five-minute lunch. Tender rotini and shredded chicken get coated in a garlicky basil pesto, then studded with sweet cherry tomato halves for a fresh bite. It's just as good eaten straight from the fridge as it is at room temperature by lunchtime.
Adds this lunch's 4 groceries to your Walmart cart; you check out on Walmart. Part of Five work lunches from one Costco rotisserie chicken · send the whole week to Walmart.
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Ingredients
- 1 cuprotini pasta, cooked
- 1 cup (about 5 oz)cooked rotisserie chicken, shredded
- 3 tbspbasil pesto
- 1/2 cupcherry tomatoes, halved
From the pantry: olive oil, salt, black pepper
Cookware
large pot · colander · cutting board · chef's knife · mixing bowl · meal-prep container
Directions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the rotini according to the package directions until al dente.
- Drain the pasta in a colander and rinse briefly under cold water to stop the cooking and cool it down.
- Toss the cooled pasta with 1 teaspoon olive oil in a mixing bowl so it doesn't clump while it finishes cooling.
- Add the shredded rotisserie chicken to the bowl (use one of the Sunday-prepped chicken piles if you have it ready).
- Halve the cherry tomatoes on a cutting board and add them to the bowl.
- Spoon in the basil pesto and toss everything together until the pasta and chicken are evenly coated.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste, tasting as you go since pesto is already salty.
- Pack into a meal-prep container and refrigerate; eat cold or let it sit out 10 minutes before eating for the best flavor.
Two tips
- Swap rotini for any short pasta shape you have on hand, like penne or fusilli.
- Make the whole batch on Sunday and portion it into containers for grab-and-go lunches all week.
Packing
Pack the pasta salad cold directly into a meal-prep container; no reheating needed. If making ahead, keep tomatoes on top rather than mixed in so they don't get watery, and stir just before eating.
Storage
Keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days in a sealed container. Not recommended for freezing, as the pasta texture and fresh tomatoes don't hold up well after thawing.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 620 mg
The rest of the week
MonLemon Chicken Rice Box
Lemony rice, chicken and cucumber slices, with a squeeze more lemon at lunch.
chicken · rice · lemon · cucumber
~35g proteinFull recipe →
WedBuffalo Chicken Wrap Box
Buffalo chicken, shredded romaine and a drizzle of ranch in a tortilla; celery on the side.
chicken · buffalo sauce · tortilla · romaine · ranch
~38g proteinFull recipe →
ThuBBQ Chicken Mac Box
Mac and cheese with BBQ chicken folded in. Reheat 2 minutes.
chicken · BBQ sauce · mac and cheese
~41g proteinFull recipe →
FriChicken Quesadilla Box
Chicken and cheddar quesadilla wedges with salsa to dip.
chicken · tortilla · cheddar · salsa
~42g proteinFull recipe →
Recipe developed by MealPot for the “Five work lunches from one Costco rotisserie chicken” video. Nutrition is estimated from standard (USDA) data for the quantities above. Photo: MealPot, an AI-rendered illustration of the packed lunch.