Cobb Pasta Salad
This Cobb Pasta Salad is a delicious twist to a classic salad! Made with: lettuce, bacon, eggs, tomatoes, onions, chicken, avocado and crumbled cheese. Then tossed with cooked noodles and a tangy vinaigrette.
This salad is everything you love about classic Cobb salad, but with the delicious addition of pasta, making it a Cobb Pasta Salad. Everything is better with noodles, right?!
Recipe Snapshot
RECIPE TYPE: Cold Pasta Salad
EASE: Ready in under 1 hour, including resting time!
PROS: Healthy and hearty enough as a stand alone meal.
Pasta Salads are the best!
We’re on a pasta salad kick over here! They’re such a perfect dish for summer (or any time of year really!). They pair perfectly with barbecue, they’re great for lunch…what’s not to love?! Because we love them so much, I’m always looking for new and delicious recipes. Really, almost anything can go into a pasta salad…so why not a Cobb salad?
What to serve with Cobb Pasta Salad
This salad makes a great stand alone meal…it’s full of chicken, eggs and noodles, making it hearty and filling enough for dinner. I mean, just look at all those delicious ingredients! But if you wish to serve it alongside other dishes, this salad is a great side dish for barbecued steak, roasted chicken, burgers and ribs.
Perfect for Picnics, Potlucks and Barbecues!
If you’re looking for a tasty and unique pasta salad to serve at your next gathering, this Cobb Pasta Salad is it! Full of delicious ingredients tossed in a garlicky tangy vinaigrette, everyone is sure to love this dish!
About the Ingredients
- PASTA: You can use any pasta that you like: rotini, shells, elbow, penne, and bows. I really like the small tube shaped pasta called ditaloni.
- EGGS: If you don’t like boiled eggs, feel free to leave them out.
- LETTUCE: I like to use romaine lettuce, but you can also use iceberg lettuce.
- CHEESE: You can use crumbled feta cheese or blue cheese.
- CHICKEN: Cooked chicken breast or chicken thighs are delicious in this salad. Prep Tip: Store-bought rotisserie chicken is especially delicious, and easy! Sometimes I like to cook extra chicken for dinner the night before, and save some for this salad the next day.
- BACON: Cook the bacon ahead of time. Prep Tip: I like to make extra bacon at breakfast and use it for this salad.
- ONION: Use chopped green onions, or even fresh chives.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Cooking the Pasta: Make sure not to overcook the pasta In fact, the noodles can be a little al dente because they’ll soak up some of the dressing, making them extra flavourful!
- Allow for Resting/Marinating Time: This salad needs about 30 minutes resting time to allow all of the flavours to come together.
- Adding the eggs: I would recommend adding the eggs to the top of the salad, after the salad has been tossed…they will fall apart if they’re stirred into the salad.
- Stir, stir, stir! Make sure to mix the pasta salad well, to coat all of the ingredients with the delicious dressing. And give it one last good stir right before you serve it.
- Can I make this Cobb Pasta Salad ahead of time? This salad is best served right after the 30 minute resting time. BUT, if you want to make it ahead of time (like the day before), I would suggest leaving out the lettuce, and adding it right before you want to serve the salad. Keep the prepared salad in an air-tight container in the fridge overnight, for serving the next day.
- How long does this salad last? This salad with the chopped lettuce doesn’t really last very long, because the lettuce becomes soggy and wilted.
Cobb Pasta Salad
This Cobb Pasta Salad is a delicious twist to a classic salad! Made with: lettuce, bacon, eggs, tomatoes, onions, chicken, avocado and crumbled cheese. Then tossed with cooked noodles and a tangy vinaigrette.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Resting Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
Ingredients
Cobb Salad Dressing:
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
Cobb Pasta Salad:
- 2 cups uncooked pasta (about 4 cups cooked)
- 3 cups chopped romaine lettuce (about 1 head)
- 6 boiled eggs, cut into quarters
- 6 – 8 pieces of cooked bacon, chopped
- 2 cooked chicken breasts
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 1/3 cup sliced red onion
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta or blue cheese
Instructions
- Cook the bacon. Drain, and pat excess grease away. Set aside.
- Boil the pasta according to package instructions (see notes). Rinse with the cooked pasta with cold water. Set aside.
- Prepare the salad dressing by mixing all of the ingredients together. Set aside.
- Prepare all of the ingredients: Chop the lettuce, cut the eggs into quarters, chop the bacon, slice the cooked chicken, slice the onions, tomatoes and avocado, and crumble the cheese.
- In a large bowl add the pasta, lettuce and all of the salad ingredients, EXCEPT the eggs.
- Drizzle on the salad dressing, then toss.
- Let it rest for about 30 minutes.
- Give the salad a good stir.
- Add the eggs slices to the top of the salad, then serve.
- Enjoy!
Keywords: cobb salad, cobb pasta salad
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Have a delicious day!
