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Chicken Pasta Salad with Shrimp and Pepperoni

Full of simple and fresh ingredients, this chicken pasta salad with shrimp and pepperoni is the perfect side dish for your next cookout, an easy option for a light weeknight dinner, or a refreshing make-ahead lunch.

Prep Time
30 mins
Additional Time
2 hrs
Total Time
2 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 16 cups total (approximately)
Calories: 405 kcal
Course: Salad , Lunch , Dinner
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

FOR THE SALAD
  • 1 (16 ounce) box rotini pasta
  • 2 cups cooked, diced chicken
  • 1 lb. cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 cup Mini pepperoni (or chopped pepperoni)
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 sweet red bell pepper, seeded and diced
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 cup frozen peas, thawed and drained
  • ½ cup Chopped Pecans
FOR THE DRESSING
  • 1 ½ cups mayonnaise
  • ½ cup peppercorn Ranch salad dressing
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons dried tarragon (or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons dried dill weed (or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill)
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside to cool completely.
  2. In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta, chicken, shrimp, pepperoni, onion, red bell pepper, celery, peas, and pecans.
  3. In a separate small bowl, prepare the dressing by whisking together the mayonnaise, Ranch dressing, Dijon mustard, vinegar, sugar, tarragon, dill, and garlic powder. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Pour the dressing over the salad; toss gently to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours, or overnight.
  5. Just before serving, give it a stir, add extra mayonnaise if the salad seems dry, and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.

Notes

  • Use a high-quality mayonnaise for the dressing, since it adds so much flavor to the dish. I prefer Duke's brand mayo.
  • Cook the pasta just until al dente, so that it's not too mushy in the salad.
  • Liberally salt the pasta cooking water, since this is your chance to season the pasta.
  • Rinse the pasta under cold water to stop the cooking process. This also removes some of the starches from the noodles so that they don't stick together in the salad.
  • Use store-bought rotisserie chicken and cooked, peeled, and deveined shrimp to eliminate prep work. You can also use leftover chicken from a previous meal.
  • If you prefer to cook your own chicken at home, boil about 1 lb. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs (if you like the dark meat) until cooked through, about 15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, chop or pull the chicken. You'll need a total of about 2 cups shredded. I find that 1 lb. of chicken breasts yields about 2 cups of pulled chicken, but there's some flexibility here -- it doesn't need to be exact.
  • If you prefer to cook your own shrimp at home, follow these instructions.
  • Thaw the peas quickly by placing the frozen peas in a colander. When you drain the pasta, pour the hot pasta and water over the peas in the colander. They will thaw almost instantly when the hot pasta hits them!

Nutrition Information

Serving 1cup Calories 405kcal (20%) Carbohydrates 26g (9%) Protein 16g (32%) Fat 26g (40%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Polyunsaturated Fat 13g Monounsaturated Fat 7g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 68mg (23%) Sodium 500mg (21%) Potassium 243mg (7%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 3g (6%) Vitamin A 392IU (8%) Vitamin C 14mg (16%) Calcium 40mg (4%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 16cups total (approximately)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 405

% Daily Value*

Serving 1cup
Calories 405kcal 20%
Carbohydrates 26g 9%
Protein 16g 32%
Fat 26g 40%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Polyunsaturated Fat 13g 76%
Monounsaturated Fat 7g 35%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 68mg 23%
Sodium 500mg 21%
Potassium 243mg 5%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 3g 6%
Vitamin A 392IU 8%
Vitamin C 14mg 16%
Calcium 40mg 4%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.