Recipe

Chicken and Pasta Salad

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Serves: 4

This salad is perfect to make in late summer, when zucchini, peppers, and eggplant are at their peak. Sweet-tart balsamic dressing complements the smoky flavour of the grilled vegetables, making this a simple, flavourful supper.

Ingredients

Chicken and Pasta Salad:

2 cups (500 mL) chicken, cooked, diced
1 eggplant
2 zucchini
1 onion(s), large
2 red pepper(s)
1/4 cup (60 mL) olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) salt
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) pepper
1/2 lb (0.3 kg) Penne, cooked

Dressing:

1/3 cup (75 mL) balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp (30 mL) red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp (5 mL) Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp (7.5 mL) salt
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) pepper
2/3 cups (170 mL) olive oil
1/4 cup (60 mL) basil, fresh, chopped
1/4 cup (60 mL) parsley, fresh, chopped
1/4 cup (60 mL) chives, fresh, chopped
1/4 cup (60 mL) green onion(s), chopped

Instructions

Chicken and Pasta Salad

1 Cut eggplant, zucchini and onions into ½” (1 cm) slices.
2 Cut peppers in half.
3 Combine olive oil with garlic, salt and peppers. Combine with vegetables.
4 Grill vegetables 4-5 minutes or until browned (peppers should be grilled skin-side down until blackened, cooled and peeled).
5 Cut vegetables into approx 1 ½” (4 cm) chunks. Combine vegetables with chicken.
6 Rinse pasta in cold water, drain well and combine with chicken and vegetables.

Dressing

1 Combine ingredients for dressing. Toss with chicken, pasta and vegetables.