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Chicken Club Pasta Salad

Chicken club pasta salad with penne or rotini, diced chicken, crumbled bacon, and a creamy ranch-mayo coating—tossed like a club sandwich. Served chilled for bold flavor, then finished with crisp romaine and juicy cherry tomatoes.
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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: 520
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Penne or rotini pasta
  • 1 lb penne or rotini pasta
Cooked chicken breast, diced
  • 3 cup cooked chicken breast, diced
Bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • 10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
Romaine lettuce, chopped
  • 2 cup romaine lettuce, chopped
Cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
Cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Ranch dressing
  • 1 cup ranch dressing
Mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp mayonnaise
Salt and pepper
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Cook the penne or rotini pasta according to package directions, then drain it and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. The pasta should look separate and not sticky after rinsing.
Make the ranch dressing
  1. Mix the ranch dressing with the mayonnaise until smooth and creamy. Stir until no streaks of mayonnaise remain.
Build the salad
  1. Combine the cooked pasta, diced chicken, crumbled bacon, cherry tomatoes, and shredded cheddar in a large bowl. Toss lightly so the cheese is evenly distributed.
  2. Pour the ranch dressing over the salad and toss to coat all the pasta. The mixture should look evenly covered, with the pasta appearing glossy from the dressing.
Chill
  1. Refrigerate the pasta salad for at least 1 hour to let the flavors meld. Keep it covered so it doesn’t dry out.
Finish with romaine
  1. Just before serving, add the chopped romaine lettuce and toss again. The romaine should stay crisp and bright, not wilted.

Notes

Pro tip: rinse the pasta with cold water so it stays firm after chilling. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; keep romaine separate if possible, and stir it in only when serving. Freezing is not recommended due to lettuce texture. For a lighter option, use Greek yogurt-based ranch dressing and keep the mayonnaise at 1 tablespoon.