Cashew Chicken Pasta Salad

I had the opportunity to be on Good Things Utah again and I had a blast. The second time was so much easier than the first time. I had almost zero nerves this time and was able to just relax and be myself. You can click here for the link to the show. I decided for this segment that I was going to make my famous pasta salad. This is my go to dish when it comes to summer barbecues and potlucks. It is a definite crowd pleaser and there are rarely ever left overs.

There are several versions of this pasta salad out there but I think mine is the very best. It is simple done right. This pasta salad comes together so fast and it always blows people away. The brown sugar in the dressing makes it sweet while the large amount of salt and pepper balance out the sweetness with the perfect amount of savory.

Tips & Tricks:

• You can easily half this recipe. The full recipe makes A LOT of pasta salad. I make the full batch if I am making it for a party, it I am making it just for my small family, I will half the recipe.
• You can omit the green onions if you are not a fan, but they really do add a lot of flavor. My mother in law who hates onions still loves this salad and doesn’t mind the green onions at all.
• Fresh lemon juice is best, the kind in the bottle doesn’t taste the same at all so please use fresh when possible.

Cashew Chicken Pasta Salad

---

• Author: Shae Memmott
• Prep Time: 20 min
• Cook Time: 14 min
• Total Time: 20 min
• Yield: 20 1x

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

I had so much fun sharing this recipe on TV with my local morning news show, Good Things Utah. I deemed this the worlds best pasta salad and the host agreed, she couldn’t stop eating it. This pasta is loaded with cashews, grapes, chicken and green onions and then tossed in a sweet and creamy dressing. It’s a definite crowd pleaser!

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 lb bow tie pasta, cooked al dente
• 3 cups sliced purple grapes
• 1 bunch sliced green onions 
• 2 1/2 cups lightly salted cashews
• 3 cups chopped rotisserie chicken, cooked
• 3/4 cup loosely packed brown sugar
• 1 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

---

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.

2. Add cooked pasta, sliced grapes, chopped green onions, cashews and chicken to a large bowl. Toss to combine.

3. In a separate small bowl combine dressing ingredients and whisk together until smooth.

4. Pour dressing over pasta and stir it in until everything is fully coated.

5. Serve immediately or store in the fridge until ready to serve.

Cashew Chicken Pasta Salad

Keywords: pasta, pasta salad, potluck, side dish