Cobb Pasta Salad

Born at Hollywood's Brown Derby in the 1930s, the classic Cobb salad gets a hearty pasta twist here. Rotini cradles diced chicken, crisp bacon, blue cheese, and creamy avocado for a make-ahead American lunch that stays satisfying cold.

Serves 6

Estimate for one serving

• 620 cal
• 32g protein
• 42g carbs
• 37g fat
• 7g fiber

Every recipe here is free to read.

Ingredients

• 12 oz rotini or penne pasta
• 2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced
• 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 4 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 medium avocado, diced
• 4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• 3/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. 1Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente, about 8-10 minutes.
2. 2Drain the pasta, rinse under cold water to stop cooking, and set aside to cool completely.
3. 3Cook the bacon until crisp, drain on paper towels, and crumble into small pieces.
4. 4Hard-boil the eggs, cool them in ice water, peel, and chop into bite-sized pieces.
5. 5Dice the cooked chicken breast into 1/2-inch cubes if not already prepared.
6. 6Chop the romaine lettuce into bite-sized pieces, halve the cherry tomatoes, finely dice the red onion, and dice the avocados just before assembling to prevent browning.
7. 7In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper until emulsified to make the vinaigrette.
8. 8In a very large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, chopped romaine, diced chicken, crumbled bacon, halved tomatoes, chopped eggs, diced red onion, and crumbled blue cheese.
9. 9Gently fold in the diced avocado last.
10. 10Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss everything together until evenly coated. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
11. 11For best flavor, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the pasta to absorb the dressing. Can be made up to 1 day ahead (add avocado just before serving).
12. 12Serve chilled or at room temperature as a main-dish lunch salad.