Chinese Pasta Salad Recipe With Homemade Dressing

This is not your traditional pasta salad dish! It has a bit of an Asian flare, similar to our Asian Pasta Salad. You could serve it alongside some Chinese entrees, or use it as a potluck or BBQ side dish.

Pasta Salad with Chinese Flare

I’ve mentioned this before, but I was able to live in China for a semester back when I was in my early twenties. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life, and I often think of the friends I made as well as the wonderful memories made there. Because of this experience, it’s been tradition to celebrate Chinese New Year each year kind of as a way to reminisce on the fun experienced there in China. Chinese food (or American Chinese food) is my favorite, and I try to eat it as often as possible! This next recipe is one my mom and sisters tried out. My mouth is drooling just looking at it. I’m thinking that it will definitely be on the menu for our upcoming Chinese New Year celebrations. I know the fried wontons are the unhealthiest part of the dish, but they’re my favorite. They add the perfect crunch to this yummy salad. 😉

The Salad Fixings

Here is what you’ll need for this salad:

Romaine Lettuce Pasta Noodles: We used rotini, but you can use any kind of bite sized pasta like bowtie or penne. Chicken: For the easiest way to cook and shred chicken, check out this post. You can also substitute pork or shrimp for the chicken. Almonds: Toasting almonds is super easy! All you need to do is preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake. Stir after 2 minutes and check to see if they’re the desired color. If not, then cook another 1-2 more minutes. Watch carefully so they don’t get too brown. Fried Wontons: Heat canola oil in a skillet over medium heat. When oil starts to shimmer, fry wonton skins in small batches for about 30 seconds or until they are lightly browned. Place on a paper towel to drain. Green Onions (optional) Sesame Seeds

TO ASSEMBLE, combine lettuce, chicken breast, almonds, pasta and green onions in a large bowl. Add dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk together. Pour over salad right before serving and top with wonton strips and sesame seeds.

Making Ahead and Storing

You can get all the ingredients prepped a day or two ahead of time for this salad. For best results store the pasta, chicken, lettuce, onions and dressing in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. The wontons, almonds and sesame seeds can be kept at room temperature. When you’re ready, just grab the prepared ingredients and toss them together before serving. Easy and delicious!

Leftover pasta salad, STORED in airtight containers, can last between 2-5 days in the fridge. One way to ensure leftovers will last longer is to serve the dressing and wontons on the side.