Chicken Club Pasta Salad

Chicken club pasta salad with ranch dressing, diced chicken, and crumbled bacon tossed through penne or rotini and chilled like a club sandwich in pasta form. Cold, creamy, and loaded with cheddar, cherry tomatoes, and crunchy romaine for big layer-style flavor in every forkful.

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 15

chilling 1

Total Time 1 35

Servings: 8 servings

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: American

Calories: 635

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

Pasta base

1 lb penne or rotini pasta
3 cups cooked chicken breast, diced
10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup ranch dressing
2 tbsp mayonnaise
0.25 salt and pepper to taste

Method

Cook and cool

Cook the penne or rotini pasta according to package directions, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking and keep it firm.
Set up an ice-cold dressing by mixing the ranch dressing with the mayonnaise until smooth and evenly combined.

Build the salad

Combine the pasta, diced chicken breast, crumbled bacon, halved cherry tomatoes, and shredded cheddar cheese in a large bowl.
Pour the ranch-mayo dressing over the salad and toss until everything looks evenly coated.

Chill

Refrigerate the salad for at least 1 hour so the pasta absorbs the ranch flavor and the texture firms up.

Finish and serve

Just before serving, add the chopped romaine lettuce and toss again so it stays crisp and not wilted.

Notes

For the best texture, rinse the pasta thoroughly after draining so it cools fast and doesn’t clump. Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator for 3–4 days; add fresh romaine only to the portion you’ll eat if you want extra crunch. Freezing is not recommended because the lettuce and ranch dressing separate as it thaws. If you want a lighter option, use reduced-fat ranch and reduced-fat cheddar to cut calories without changing the method.