Pesto Chicken Pasta Salad Lunch Boxes
Fusilli tossed in basil pesto with pan fried chicken, juicy tomatoes, spinach and mozzarella. Four lunches from one bowl.
- Time30 min
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £2.00 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Estimated nutrition per serving
- 678kcal
- 61.1gcarbs
- 5.9gof which sugars
- 21.9gfat
- 8.8gsaturates
- 57.3gprotein
- 3.7gfibre
- 2.3gsalt
A rough estimate worked out from the ingredients, for the serving size above. It is a guide only and not medical advice. If you count carbs or manage diabetes, check with your own tools and your care team.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water for the time on the packet, minus 1 minute. Drain, rinse under cold water and drain well.
9 min - 2
Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium high heat. Season the chicken with the salt and pepper and fry for 6 to 7 minutes, turning, until golden with no pink inside.
6 min 40 s - 3
Leave the chicken to cool for 10 minutes, then toss with the cold pasta, pesto and lemon juice in a big bowl until every piece is coated.
- 4
Gently fold in the tomatoes and mozzarella.
- 5
Put a handful of spinach in the bottom of each of 4 boxes and pile the pasta salad on top, so the leaves stay fresh. Cool, then add the lids.
- 6
Keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Take out 15 minutes before eating so the pasta loosens, and stir through the spinach. Not suitable for freezing.
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.
