Chicken Pesto Rotini Salad
Chicken Pesto Rotini Salad brings together juicy tomatoes, peppery arugula or spinach, and tender pasta coated in basil pesto brightened with a touch of red wine vinegar. Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano and toasted pine nuts add nutty depth and crunch. Serve it chilled or at room temperature for picnics, potlucks, or an easy weeknight dinner.
- Prep10 mins
- Cook10 mins
- Serves6
- DifficultyEasy
easyChef Pro health score
Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Chicken Pesto Rotini Salad, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.
- Glycemic ImpactFair
- 52 / 100
- Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
- Nutritional DensityPoor
- 3 / 100
- Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
- Energy DensityFair
- 56 / 100
- Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
- NOVA Processed Culinary Ingredients
- 2 / 4
- Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.
How it scores for each health goal
The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.
- 17
- Heart Health
- 67
- Metabolic
- 29
- Digestive
- 40
- Inflammatory
- 50
- Performance
- 34
- General Wellness
- 1
Assemble all the ingredients.
- 2
Cook the rotini as directed on the package.
- 3
Drain and rinse well under cold water; set aside.
- 4
Mix the pesto, vinegar, garlic, and salt in a large bowl.
- 5
Add the chicken, cooked rotini, arugula, tomatoes, half of the cheese, and half of the pine nuts.
- 6
Toss well.
- 7
Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 6 hours.
- 8
Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and pine nuts just before serving.
- Calories 575.18 kcal High 29%
- Protein 33.56 g Good Source 67%
- Carbohydrate 43.66 g 16%
- Total Fat 29.06 g High 37%
- Saturated Fat 6.13 g High 31%
- Trans Fat 0.1 g High --
- Cholesterol 98.42 mg High 33%
- Sodium 903.34 mg High 39%
- Dietary Fiber 3.6 g Moderate 13%
- Total Sugars 4.63 g --
- Added Sugars 0.0 g Low Source 0%
- Calcium 272.54 mg Good Source 21%
- Iron 3.1 mg Moderate 17%
- Potassium 506.62 mg Moderate 11%
- Vitamin A 147.39 mcg Moderate 16%
- Vitamin C 10.67 mg Moderate 12%
- Vitamin D 0.0 mcg Low Source 0%
Values are per serving. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
- Tree Nuts 🌰
- Milk 🥛
- Wheat 🌾
- Gluten
About This Recipe
Chicken Pesto Rotini Salad is an Italian dinner recipe made with 10 ingredients. It takes about 20 mins, serves 6, and is rated easy. Key ingredients include Baby Arugula, Basil Pesto, Cherry Tomato, and Diced Fully Cooked Chicken Breast. Each serving provides about 575.18 kcal, and is a good source of protein.
Recipe Questions
- What is Chicken Pesto Rotini Salad?
- It is an Italian salad recipe made with 10 ingredients, usually served for dinner or lunch or salad.
- What is Chicken Pesto Rotini Salad made of?
- The main ingredients are Baby Arugula, Basil Pesto, Cherry Tomato, Diced Fully Cooked Chicken Breast, Garlic. The full list of 10 is above.
- What goes well with Chicken Pesto Rotini Salad?
- Explore these Italian side-dish recipes.
- How long does it take to make Chicken Pesto Rotini Salad?
- About 20 mins in total: 10 mins to prepare and 10 mins to cook.
- How many calories are in one serving?
- One serving provides about 575.18 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
- Is Chicken Pesto Rotini Salad easy to make?
- This recipe is rated easy, with 10 ingredients and 8 steps.
- Is Chicken Pesto Rotini Salad healthy?
- Chicken Pesto Rotini Salad has an easyChef Pro health score of 39/100. Per serving, it provides 575.18 calories and 33.56 g of protein, or 67% of the Daily Value. It is a good source of calcium. Worth noting per serving: sodium at 903.34 mg (39% of the Daily Value) and saturated fat at 6.13 g (31% of the Daily Value). It contains Tree Nuts, Milk, Wheat and Gluten, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.
How easyChef Pro scores recipes and products
easyChef Pro analyzes up to 41 nutrients using data sourced from USDA and other verified food databases. Its scoring method uses the nutrients relevant to nutrition quality, calorie density, processing level, and your selected health goal. Recipes and food products get a health score from 0 to 100, calculated using consistent rules instead of being estimated by AI. The same nutrition data, serving size and health goal will produce the same result.
The calculation evaluates nutrients, calorie density, processing level, and how well the food supports your selected health goal. Protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients can strengthen the score. High amounts of sodium, saturated fat, added sugar and other nutrients may lower it.
Your health goal also matters. easyChef Pro evaluates recipes and products across six health areas and adjusts their importance for your selected goal. This means the same food may be a better fit for one health goal than another.
For recipes, changing an ingredient, quantity or serving size changes the nutrition and may change the score. Remix the recipe in easyChef Pro to calculate fresh nutrition and scores for the version you actually make. Product scores are based on the nutrition and serving information associated with that specific product.
Score a recipe free, no app required