Creamy Curried Chicken Pasta Salad

This Creamy Curried Chicken Pasta Salad is a delicious flavor variation on a summer favorite! This pasta salad is made with tender bowtie pasta tossed with celery, green onion, and dried apricot in a creamy curry dressing. 

I have so much love for pasta salad…any and all pasta salads. They’re so tasty, so simple, and there are so many different kinds!

This Creamy Curried Chicken Pasta Salad is one of my very favorites. It’s made with bowtie pasta smothered in a mildly spicy and creamy dressing flavored with curry paste. The flavors are mouthwatering and the textures are perfect. 

You may be tempted to dig into a bowl of this right away, but hold yourself back. It just gets better as it sits in the fridge. It will be worth the wait. Trust me!

Why You’ll Love Creamy Curried Chicken Pasta Salad

• The best flavors and textures. You’ve got the rich and tangy dressing spiced to perfection with curry paste, then offset with the sweetness of apricot. This flavor combination is incredible!
• Versatile. Enjoy this pasta salad as a side dish with your favorite summer meal or as a light lunch or dinner anytime. 
• Customizable. Follow the recipe as-is or add in your favorite fruits, veggies, or even nuts. You can always make pasta salad your own! 

Ingredients

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The full printable recipe card with measurements and instructions is found at the bottom of the post.

• Chicken – You’ll need 2 boneless and skinless chicken breasts, cooked and chopped into cubes. You can buy pre-cooked Rotisserie chicken at the store or cook your own! 
• Celery – Diced celery gives the pasta salad a delicious freshness and crunch. 
• Green Onions –
• Dried Apricots – The sweetness of the dried apricots complements the spice of the curry paste in the best way. If you can’t find dried apricots, try using golden raisins instead. 
• Bowtie Pasta – Or another small pasta shape of your choice. 
• Mayonnaise and Sour Cream – The mayonnaise provides a delicious richness while the tangy flavor of the sour cream cuts it perfectly.
• Mild Curry Paste – If you like extra spice, feel free to use a medium or spicy curry paste.
• Salt – Brings out all of the delicious flavors of the other ingredients. 

How to Make Curried Chicken Pasta Salad

• Step One: Cook the pasta according to package instructions, then set aside. 
• Step Two: In a large bowl, combine chicken, celery, green onions, apricots, and pasta. In a smaller bowl, stir together mayonnaise, sour cream, mild curry paste, and salt.
• Step Three: Pour the mayonnaise mixture over the pasta mixture, then stir to combine. Chill for 1-2 hours before serving. 

Equipment Needed

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• Mixing Bowls
• Cutting Board
• Colander

What to Serve with Creamy Curried Chicken Pasta Salad

This pasta salad is an excellent entree, but also works deliciously as a side dish with any of your favorite entrees! Enjoy it with burgers, hot dogs, steak, chicken, or whatever you’re grilling up this summer. Here are a few of my favorite recipes to enjoy it with:

• Easy Stuffed Burgers
• Grilled Herb Chicken
• Grilled Flank Steak

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Rinse the pasta. For the best texture, I recommend rinsing the pasta with cold water once it’s done cooking. This stops the cooking process and gets rid of excess starch, which can create a gummier texture. 
• To prevent the pasta from sticking as it sits, toss it with a little bit of oil. This helps keep the noodles separate for the best texture.
• Let it rest. Before serving your pasta salad, let it chill in the fridge for at least 1-2 hours. This resting time gives all of those flavors time to meld together and soak into the noodles.
• Bring to room temperature before serving. The texture and flavors of this pasta salad at room temperature just can’t be beat!
• For a little extra flavor, try cooking the pasta in salted water.
• Lighten it up. If you want to lighten your pasta salad up just a tad, you can swap the sour cream out for plain Greek yogurt. 

Variations and Substitutions

• Add fruit. Give your salad a little bit of extra texture and sweetness by mixing in sliced grapes or diced apple. 
• Add veggies. I love the celery and green onion combo in this pasta salad, but you could absolutely bulk it up with diced red onions, shredded carrot, or chopped bell pepper. 
• Make it nutty. Try giving your pasta salad a nutty crunch by tossing in a handful of chopped walnuts, chopped pecans, or pine nuts. 
• Make creamy curried potato salad. Simply swap the pasta out for chopped and boiled potatoes for a fun twist on classic potato salad. 

Storage Instructions

Leftover pasta salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Keep in mind that the pasta will soften up as the salad sits. If you plan on storing your pasta salad for later, then you may want to keep the pasta and dressing separate until a couple of hours before you plan to serve it!

Can this be frozen?

No, I definitely do not recommend freezing pasta salad. The fresh ingredients and mayo dressing won’t hold up when thawed. 

What is the Difference Between Curry Chicken and Curried Chicken?

Chicken curry is an entree that consists of chicken simmered in a curry sauce or gravy. Curried chicken refers to pieces of chicken that are coated in curry seasoning.

What Pasta is Not Recommended for Pasta Salads?

In general, pasta salads are better with smaller pasta shapes such as bowtie, penne, rotini, shells, etc. I don’t recommend using larger, longer noodles, because they don’t incorporate as well with the other ingredients. 

You want a little bit of everything in each bite. Smaller pasta shapes allow for that!

How Do You Make Pasta Salad Not Soggy?

There are a couple of things that you can do to maintain the perfect pasta salad noodle texture:

• Cook the noodles al dente. Every so slightly undercooking the noodles helps them hold their shape and structure under the dressing. 
• Rinse the pasta. Rinsing the noodles removes excess starch and stops the pasta from continuing to cook so it stays al dente. 
• Add the dressing 1-2 hours before serving. While you do want the pasta salad to sit for a little bit of time, once it passes a certain point it can start to get soggy. I recommend serving within a couple of hours of adding the dressing. 

Pasta Salad Recipes

• Ramen Noodle Salad
• Macaroni Dill Salad
• Italian Pasta Salad
• Chicken BLT Salad
• Pesto Chicken Pasta Salad
• Shrimp Pasta Salad
• Pizza Pasta Salad
• Jalapeno Ranch Pasta Salad
• Bruschetta Chicken Pasta Salad
• Chicken Fajita Pasta Salad
• Roasted Pepper Pasta Salad
• Greek Pasta Salad
• Chili Pasta Salad
• Easy Bacon Pea Pasta Salad

You might also like this Greek Chicken Salad.

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