Pesto Chicken Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons salt
2 pound pasta
1 lb trimmed asparagus, cut into 1-inch lengths
2 pounds cooked chicken breast strips, pulled into bite-size pieces
16 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved and lightly salted
2 (14 ounce) cans whole artichoke hearts, drained, cut into sixths
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup pine nuts, toasted in a small skillet over low heat until golden
1/2 cup pesto
Creamy Buttermilk Dressing:
2 large garlic clove, minced
2/3 cup mayonnaise
2/3 cup sour cream
2/3 cup buttermilk
6 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
Directions:
3 tablespoons salt
2 pound pasta
1 lb trimmed asparagus, cut into 1-inch lengths
2 pounds cooked chicken breast strips, pulled into bite-size pieces
16 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved and lightly salted
2 (14 ounce) cans whole artichoke hearts, drained, cut into sixths
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup pine nuts, toasted in a small skillet over low heat until golden
1/2 cup pesto
Creamy Buttermilk Dressing:
2 large garlic clove, minced
2/3 cup mayonnaise
2/3 cup sour cream
2/3 cup buttermilk
6 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
Directions:
- Mix dressing ingredients in a small bowl; keep chilled until ready to toss with salad. (Store in clean jar with lid.)
- Bring 1 gallon of water and 2 Tbs. of salt to boil in a large soup kettle. Add pasta and, using package times as a guide, boil, stirring frequently and adding asparagus the last 1 minute, until just tender. Drain thoroughly (do not rinse) and dump onto a large, lipped cookie sheet. Set aside to cool while preparing remaining salad ingredients.
- Place all salad ingredients (except buttermilk dressing) in a large bowl or transfer to a gallon-size zippered bag. (Can be covered and refrigerated several hours at this point.) When ready to serve, add dressing; toss to coat and serve.