Description
This amazing avocado pasta salad combines creamy avocado ranch dressing, seasoned baked chicken, crispy bacon, boiled eggs, and fresh vegetables over spiral pasta for a refreshing, protein-packed meal. The dressing is made silky with ripe avocados, buttermilk, and mayonnaise, creating a luscious coating for the pasta and toppings. Baked smoky paprika chicken and oven-crisped bacon add savory flavor and satisfying texture, while boiled eggs and fresh dill complete this colorful, crowd-pleasing salad.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 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 (smush in cup measures, ~ 1 1/2 avocados)
- 1/2 cup buttermilk (sub yogurt + milk)
- 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 250g / 8oz 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 and bake bacon: Preheat oven to 220°C/430°F (200°C fan-forced). Place bacon slices on a rack set 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 pieces.
- Pound and season chicken: Cover chicken breasts with baking paper and pound to an even 1.5 cm thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Mix paprika, salt, and pepper. Place chicken on a baking tray, drizzle and rub with half the olive oil, then sprinkle seasoning. Flip and repeat on the other side.
- Bake chicken: Bake chicken breasts in the oven for 12 minutes until internal temperature reaches 67°C/153°F. Rest for 5 minutes, then cut into 4 pieces approximately 1 cm thick.
- Cook pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to packet time plus 2 additional minutes for tenderness. Drain, rinse under cold water, and drain well. Let cool.
- Boil eggs: Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Lower eggs in gently and boil for 9 minutes. Reduce heat to prevent cracking. Remove eggs and transfer to cold water to cool for 5 minutes. Peel under water and cut into quarters.
- Prepare dressing: Place avocado, buttermilk, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic, onion powder, salt, and black pepper into a container suitable for a stick blender. Blend until smooth. Stir in chopped dill and briefly blend to mix. Adjust seasoning as needed.
- Toss salad: In a very large bowl, combine cooled pasta and dressing. Add bacon, chicken, cherry tomatoes, red onion, celery, and dill. Toss gently to combine.
- Add eggs and serve: Gently fold in the quartered boiled eggs and serve immediately or chilled.
Notes
- Note 1: Use ripe avocados for a creamy texture in the dressing.
- Note 2: Buttermilk can be substituted with plain yogurt mixed with a splash of milk.
- Note 3: Use whole egg mayonnaise sparingly to keep the dressing light and creamy.
- Note 4: Fresh dill adds bright herbaceous notes, split into dressing and salad additions.
- Note 5: Adding two extra minutes to pasta cooking time results in a softer texture perfect for salads.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 44 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: avocado pasta salad, creamy avocado dressing, baked chicken salad, crispy bacon salad, easy pasta salad, summer salad
