Cashew Chicken Pasta Salad

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Servings: 12
Yield: 12 servings

Description

This chicken pasta salad recipe with added crunch from cashews and bell peppers is a crowd-pleaser. But plan ahead, it needs to be made the day before.

Ingredients

3 cups uncooked tri-color rotini pasta
4 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1/4 cup diced green onions
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise (such as Hellman's®)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups salted cashew halves

Directions

1 Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; cook rotini at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.
2 Combine rotini, chicken, bell pepper, and green onions in a large bowl.
3 Whisk mayonnaise, brown sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, and salt together in a small bowl until well combined; pour over pasta mixture and stir well to coat.
4 Cover and refrigerate until flavors are combined and dressing has thickened, 8 hours to overnight. Stir in cashews just before serving or no more than 2 hours ahead.