Description
This Cranberry Pasta Salad is the perfect mix of creamy, tangy, and crunchy. Made with bowtie pasta, chicken, dried cranberries, roasted pecans, and a dreamy poppy seed dressing, it’s a crowd-pleasing side dish or light meal for any occasion. It’s easy to prep ahead and even better after chilling.
Ingredients
8 ounces bowtie pasta
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup diced celery
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup roasted pecans
1/4 cup chopped green onion
3/4 to 1 cup creamy poppy seed dressing
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook bowtie pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water. Let cool completely.
2. While pasta cooks, chop celery and green onion, toast pecans in a skillet over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, and shred cooked chicken if needed.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the pasta, shredded chicken, celery, green onion, cranberries, and toasted pecans.
4. Add 3/4 cup of creamy poppy seed dressing to the mixture and gently toss. Add more dressing if desired. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving. Stir and adjust seasoning if needed before serving.
Notes
Let the pasta drain thoroughly to avoid watering down the dressing.
Toasting pecans brings out a deeper nutty flavor—don’t skip it.
For best texture, add more dressing right before serving if the salad has chilled for several hours.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Pasta Salad
- Method: No-bake, stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 390
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 330mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 17g
- Cholesterol: 45mg