Chicken pesto pasta salad

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Ingredients#

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta for approximately 10 minutes or until just cooked.
Drain pasta and toss through half of the oil to prevent it from sticking.
Chop bacon into 1cm pieces.
Heat remaining oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and cook onion and bacon until it begins to brown, remove from heat.
Slice sundried tomatoes.
Chop cucumber and tomato into 1cm pieces.
In a large mixing container add cooked pasta, bacon and onion mixture, sundried tomatoes, cucumber, tomato, chicken, pesto and spinach then mix until thoroughly combined.
Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Tip

Portioning guidance

Portion out a reference plate for each meal size to guide your portioning:

Vegetarian: Replace bacon with haloumi cheese (40g per portion), replace chicken with canned chickpeas.
Vegan: Replace chicken and bacon with canned chickpeas (Years 0 to 3: 45g, Years 4 to 8: 60g, Years 9 and above: 75g per portion). Ensure pesto is vegan.
Gluten free: Use gluten-free pasta. Ensure pesto and bacon are gluten free.
Dairy free: Use dairy-free pesto.
Nut free: Use a mayonnaise-based dressing instead of pesto.
Halal: Leave out bacon and add extra chicken. Ensure chicken is certified halal.

Tip

Recipe tips

Replace the tomatoes and cucumbers with seasonal vegetables during winter months.
To reduce costs, substitute some chicken and/or bacon with canned chickpeas.
This recipe contains amber processed meats. Processed meat classified as amber can be served up to twice a week.

Products and pricing are valid as of 9 April 2026 and are subject to change.

Product description	Pack size
Turkman pasta fusilli	5kg
Value canola oil	3L
SB onion diced	1kg
The Butchers Wife shoulder bacon cooked	1kg
Bella sundried tomato strips	1.9kg
Cucumber telegraph	Each
Tomatoes red loose	1kg
Tegel chicken shredded classic roast	1kg
Genoese pesto basil pronto	900g
Gilmours salad baby spinach	500g