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Chicken Club Pasta Salad

Chicken club pasta salad with penne, diced chicken, crispy bacon, and shredded cheddar tossed in a ranch-mayo dressing. Chilled for an hour so the pasta stays tender, then finished with fresh romaine for crunch.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
chilling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken club pasta salad
  • 1 lb penne or rotini pasta
  • 3 cup cooked chicken breast, diced
  • 10 slice bacon
  • 2 cup romaine lettuce, chopped
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup ranch dressing
  • 2 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 0.25 salt to taste
  • 0.25 pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Cook and prepare
  1. Bring a Dutch oven of salted water to a boil, then cook the penne or rotini pasta according to package directions. When done, drain and rinse thoroughly with cold water to cool quickly.
  2. In a large bowl, mix the ranch dressing with the mayonnaise until smooth and creamy. Set aside so it’s ready for tossing.
  3. Cook the bacon until crisp on a sheet pan, then crumble it into bite-size pieces. Keep the heat fully off so it doesn’t soften during mixing.
Assemble and chill
  1. Combine the cooked pasta, diced cooked chicken breast, crumbled bacon, cherry tomatoes, and shredded cheddar cheese in a large bowl. Toss gently so cheese and chicken are evenly distributed.
  2. Pour the ranch-mayo dressing over the salad and toss to coat every piece of pasta. Scrape the bottom of the bowl so no dry pasta remains.
  3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Chill until the salad feels set and flavors taste blended.
Finish and serve
  1. Just before serving, add the romaine lettuce and toss again. Serve immediately so the romaine stays crisp.

Notes

For the best texture, rinse pasta with cold water right after draining so it won’t keep cooking. Refrigerate covered for up to 3 days; add romaine only at the end to prevent wilting. Freezing isn’t recommended because ranch-dressed pasta and lettuce can lose texture. If you want a lighter option, use Greek-yogurt ranch or reduced-fat ranch dressing (keep mayonnaise the same for structure).