Name: Chicken Pasta Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 250 g pasta shell; 250 g cherry tomato; 0.5 pcs red onion; 2 pcs spring onion; 65 g rocket; 185 g kalamata olive; 50 g roasted pine nut; 1 pcs fresh mozzarella; 1 package pea shoot; 4 pcs chicken thigh fillet; 0.25 tsp salt; 0.25 tsp pepper; 2 tbsp margarine or oil for frying

UntrainedChef

Tips from the kitchen

Rinse the pasta under cold water until it stops feeling warm, then let it drain a few minutes. Warm pasta wilts the rocket and pea shoots and turns the whole bowl soggy.
Give the chicken thighs a real two minutes per side before you drop the heat. You want some color in the pan, not pale grey meat. The lid-on finish on low heat cooks them through without drying them out.
Let the chicken rest a couple of minutes before slicing, otherwise the juices run out onto the board instead of staying in the meat.
Tear the mozzarella by hand rather than slicing it. The rough edges hold onto the olive brine and oil better, and it looks less like a cheese plate.
Add the pine nuts and pea shoots right at the end, just before serving. Pine nuts go soft if they sit in the salad, and pea shoots collapse fast.

Ways to vary it

Swap the chicken thighs for two chicken breasts if that's what you have, though thighs stay juicier with the lid-on method.
A spoonful of pesto stirred through the pasta works if you want to tie everything together, or a squeeze of lemon over the rocket before tossing.
Sun-dried tomatoes instead of, or alongside, the cherry tomatoes give a chewier bite if you like that.

Storage & leftovers

Keeps in the fridge for up to two days in a sealed container, though the rocket and pea shoots will wilt after the first day. It doesn't freeze well, the tomatoes and mozzarella turn watery. Eat it cold straight from the fridge rather than reheating, since warming it just makes the greens limp.

What to serve with it

A piece of crusty bread or a focaccia on the side is all it needs. A cold glass of white wine fits the Mediterranean side of it if you've got people over.

By Untrained ChefPublished 14 May 2026 · Updated 11 July 2026