What’s in pasta salad with chicken?
Similar to chicken salad, this version of pasta salad contains all the classic ingredients, such as chicken, celery, grapes and fresh herbs. The dressing, based on yogurt and mayonnaise, is the perfect creamy binder for the whole dish. The final garnish of toasted almonds gives this tender salad a nice crunchy touch.
What kind of chicken is used in chicken pasta salad?
This recipe calls for 3 cups of rotisserie chicken, which can easily be taken from a standard roast bird. It is one of the most convenient and tasty ingredients on the market. If your family prefers white meat, buy two rotisserie chickens and use just the breasts. (Save the rotisserie chicken thighs for another recipe!) Or cook 3 cups boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped to your liking.
What’s the easiest way to shred chicken?
Start by cutting the bird into chunks and removing the skin. You can use two forks to shred the meat, but it’s even easier to control the size of the pieces when you use nature’s tool: your hands! Reserve the bones to make a delicious homemade chicken stock.
How to avoid dry pasta salads?
Nothing is worse than digging into a pasta salad only to find that the pasta is dry or sticking together. Of course the salad could be underdressed, but if the instructions are followed, that shouldn’t be the issue. The culprit of dry pasta salad is often undercooked pasta. Finishing a perfectly cooked, al dente pasta in a warm, satiny sauce is a joyful experience, indeed. However, in the case of a cold salad, under-cooked pasta absorbs too much liquid as it sits. This produces a dry mess instead of creamy perfection. Simply cook the pasta for one minute longer than the package suggests and enjoy!
YIELDS: 8 – 10 serving(s)
PREP TIME: 20 mins
TOTAL TIME: 50 mins
Ingredients :
- 1 lb. penne pasta
- 1 c. plain yogurt (not greek)
- 3/4 c. mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp. grainy Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp. lemon zest
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
- 3 c. shredded rotisserie chicken
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 c. red grapes, halved
- 3/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 c. fresh dill
- 1/2 c. sliced almonds, toasted
- Butter lettuce, to serve
Directions :
- 1Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for one minute longer than package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and let cool.
- 2In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Fold in the pasta, chicken, celery, green onions, grapes, parsley, and dill. Refrigerate until ready to eat.
- 3Sprinkle the salad with almonds before serving on butter lettuce, if desired.
Tip: This salad can be made a day in advance, just sprinkle the toasted almonds on top before serving!
