Taziki's Friday Pasta Salad - Plain Chicken (2024)

Greek Chicken Pasta Salad – the recipe for Taziki’s Friday Pasta – homemade vinaigrette tossed with penne pasta, chicken, feta, tomatoes, and fresh basil – tastes great warm or cold. Great for a potluck. Can make a day ahead – the flavors get better as it sits. This is seriously delicious!

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Copycat Taziki’s Pasta Salad

This dish is referred to as “Friday Pasta” around Birmingham. It is a local favorite. It is so popular that Taziki’s actually had to start serving the pasta all weekend. Several years ago the recipe was published in the newspaper. I snagged a copy of it in case I ever wanted to make it.

For whatever reason, I only recently tried Taziki’s Friday Signature Pasta. We went to a birthday party and they served this cold/room temperature. Taziki’s serves this pasta warm over lettuce in the restaurant. We both agreed that we preferred the pasta cold/room temperature and without the lettuce.

I decided to finally try my hand at making Friday Pasta at home. The recipe calls for cooked chicken, so I marinated the chicken in ourGreek Chicken Marinadeand grilled it. I whipped up the vinaigrette (great on its own) and tossed up the pasta salad in the morning and let it hang out in the fridge all day. We ate this for dinner two nights in a row. It actually gets better as it sits in the fridge.

How to Make Taziki’s Friday Pasta

This pasta salad is easy to make with only a few simple ingredients. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add penne pasta and cook according to the package instructions for al dente. Drain pasta and set aside.

Place thyme, shallot, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, and Dijon mustard in a blender. Pulse a few times. Slowly blend in olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

In a large bowl, combine pasta, chopped chicken, crumbled feta cheese, tomatoes, and fresh basil. Pour dressing over pasta mixture. Toss to fully coat chicken pasta mixture.

Helpful Tips & Frequently Asked Questions

• You can serve this dishwarm or cold.
• Taziki’s serves their Signature Pasta overlettuce.
• You can make this Greek ChickenPasta Salada aheadof timeand refrigerate it until ready to serve.
• Can use any cooked chicken for the chicken in this recipe.Rotisserie chickenwould work great.
  • Omit the chicken to serve this as a side dish.
• You can use gluten-free pasta for a glue
• Variations/Additions:
  • cucumbers
  • kalamata olives
  • red onions
  • red peppers
  • chickpeas
  • fresh dill
  • garlic
  • shrimp
• This makes a lot of pasta salad. It is greatfor a crowd! Feel free tocut the recipe in halfif you don’t need as much food.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

What to Serve with Greek Pasta Salad

This pasta salad is a favorite at our house. We make this at least once a month. It is great for brunch, baby showers, potlucks, and a make-ahead lunch or dinner.This dish already brings a burst of Mediterranean flavors with its vinegarette, juicy tomatoes, and tender pasta. To complement those vibrant flavors, I highly recommend serving it with a refreshing side salad. My go-to choice is a crisp Greek salad with ripe cucumbers, ripe cherry tomatoes, tangy feta cheese, Kalamata olives, and a zesty lemon-oregano dressing. Add some crusty bread and Greek Tzatziki for a meal that will have your family and friends coming back for seconds!

Looking for more pasta salad recipes? Here are some popular recipes from the website:

Steph