Creamy Avocado Pasta Salad with Chicken, Bacon, and Veggies Recipe
This creamy avocado pasta salad combines perfectly cooked spiral pasta with a luscious avocado ranch dressing, seasoned baked chicken, crispy bacon, boiled eggs, and fresh veggies like cherry tomatoes, red onion, and celery. It’s a flavorful, hearty salad ideal for lunch or dinner and showcases a delightful blend of textures and flavors with a healthy twist.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta and Cooking Salt
- 500 g / 1 lb spiral pasta (or other of choice)
- 1 tbsp cooking / kosher salt (for cooking water)
Creamy Avocado Ranch Dressing
- 1 1/3 cups avocado (smushed, ~1 1/2 avocados)
- 1/2 cup buttermilk (or yogurt + milk substitute)
- 1/3 cup whole egg mayonnaise
- 3 tbsp lemon juice (or cider vinegar)
- 1 1/2 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 1/4 tsp cooking salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup dill, finely chopped
Seasoned Chicken
- 2 x 250 g / 8 oz chicken breasts, skinless boneless
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (or ordinary paprika)
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Add-ins
- 250 g / 8 oz streaky bacon
- 6 eggs
- 250 g / 8 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 red onion, very finely sliced
- 1 celery stem, finely sliced 0.5 cm / 1/5″
- 1/4 cup dill, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven and prepare bacon: Preheat the oven to 220°C/430°F (200°C fan-forced). Place bacon slices on a rack over a baking tray. Bake for 20 minutes until deep golden and crispy. Remove and let cool to crisp up further, then chop into 1 cm / 1/3″ pieces.
- Pound and season chicken: Cover each chicken breast with baking paper and pound to an even 1.5 cm / 3/5″ thickness using a meat mallet, rolling pin, or pan. Mix smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Drizzle chicken with half the olive oil, rub seasoning on both sides evenly.
- Bake chicken: Place seasoned chicken on a baking tray and drizzle with the remaining oil. Bake for 12 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 67°C/153°F. Remove, rest for 5 minutes, then cut into 4 pieces each about 1 cm / 2.5 x 1/2″.
- Cook pasta: Bring a large pot of water to boil and add 1 tbsp salt. Cook pasta according to packet instructions plus 2 extra minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and let drain and cool completely.
- Boil eggs: Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Lower eggs gently with a slotted spoon. Boil for 9 minutes, reducing heat to avoid cracking. Transfer eggs to cold water and let sit for 5 minutes. Peel under water and cut into quarters. Pat dry.
- Make avocado ranch dressing: Combine avocado, buttermilk, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a container suitable for a stick blender. Blend until smooth. Stir in finely chopped dill and briefly blitz to mix.
- Toss pasta salad: In a very large bowl, combine cooked pasta and dressing. Add bacon, chicken, cherry tomatoes, red onion, celery, and remaining dill. Toss gently to mix everything evenly.
- Add eggs and serve: Gently fold in quartered boiled eggs. Toss lightly to disperse without breaking eggs. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Use ripe avocados for the creamiest dressing texture.
- Buttermilk can be substituted with a mixture of yogurt and milk if unavailable.
- Using whole egg mayonnaise adds richness without overpowering the fresh flavors.
- Dill adds a fresh herbal note; feel free to substitute with parsley or chives if preferred.
- Cooking pasta a little longer than package instructions helps it pair better with the creamy dressing and chilled salad.
Keywords: avocado pasta salad, creamy avocado dressing, baked chicken pasta salad, bacon pasta salad, healthy pasta salad, easy lunch salad
