Italian Chicken Pasta Salad
I typically think of pasta salad as a Summer dish, but this Italian Chicken Pasta Salad is great in the Fall as well. We like to pair it with parmesan garlic toast for a hearty and delicious meal.
Please Note: If using gluten free pasta you will want to serve it within a couple of hours. GF pasta with dressing generally tends to fall apart over night.
Italian Chicken Pasta Salad
Ingredients
16 oz. box of garden rotini (use quinoa pasta if making this gluten free*)
2 cups shredded baked chicken
1/2 yellow or red onion, chopped
1 green pepper, seeded and diced
2 small carrots, diced
15 ounce can sliced pitted black olives
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon dried basil
1-2 cups Italian Salad Dressing (depending on taste–we like less)
Directions
Prepare rotini according to package directions (You want it al dente so be careful not to over cook it.). Drain and rinse pasta and set aside.
Add chicken, vegetables and spices and stir to combine. Add desired amount of Italian dressing and stir until all ingredients are well-coated. Refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours to allow flavors to blend. This salad is even better the next day.
Serves 6.
*Note: If using gluten free pasta, prepare only the amount of pasta you will eat. The quinoa and rice pastas do not hold up well in this recipe.
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I’m linking up at Tasty Tuesday and Gluten Free Wednesdays!
I just printed like 203984029834 of these yummy recipes, however, this one will be by far one of my favorites. thank you for putting up these yummy recipes and also for them being so incredibly easy – as a woman who works 40 hrs a week and class and life…. I need something easy, healthy and GF (and something my husband will eat, or else he ends up eating his very own frozen pizza – yukk!!). THANK YOU times a billion. I love your blog, your insight and how you keep your family running smoothly (without pulling out your hair). Blessings 🙂
Wow Leece! I didn’t realize I had that many recipes–LOL! So glad that you found some that you like, and I am very glad to help you get some dinner on the table. 🙂
I haven’t tried Quinoa yet. (Only been gluten-free for 3 weeks.) If it means I can have something yummy like this, I’d better buy some! I would love it if you visited my new Gluten-Free Monday party at OneCreativeMommy.com and linked up this and any other idea you would like to share. I hope to see you there.