Garden Pasta And Pesto Chicken Salad Food

PESTO CHICKEN PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Boil pasta for 8-9 minutes until tender, rinse with cold water, drain, and place in a large bowl.
• Add spinach and arugula, shredded chicken, tomatoes, and parmesan cheese pasta bowl.
• Whisk together Italian salad dressing and pesto sauce until smooth, then pour over pasta. Toss to combine. Top with cracked black pepper and grated parmesan cheese as desired.
• Serve immediately or cover and chill up to 8 hours and toss just before serving.

GARDEN PASTA AND PESTO CHICKEN SALAD

Steps:

• Cook pasta as directed on package; drain. Rinse with cold water. Place in large bowl.
• Add all remaining ingredients except tomatoes; mix lightly. Sprinkle with the tomatoes; cover.
• Refrigerate several hours or until chilled.

CHICKEN PESTO PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl whisk together pesto, vinegar and 1/4 T salt and pinch of pepper. Gradually whisk in oil until smooth.
• Cook the orzo add 2T salt in cooking.
• Drain and rinse under cold water and drain again.
• Add orzo to vinigarete and toss.
• Add chicken, and tomatoes and toss.
• Tastes best chilled- though it's fine warm.

CHICKEN PESTO PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• 1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water, until al dente, according to instructions on the package. Once cooked, drain and rinse with cold water. Shake out any excess water. 2. Place pasta in a large bowl and stir in the pesto and Italian dressing. Add the cooked chicken and add to the bowl along with the baby spinach. Fold in the tomatoes, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add olive oil or more Italian dressing if the mixture seems dry. 3. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Before serving give it a stir. 4. Keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days.

PASTA, PESTO, AND PEAS

Steps:

• Cook the fusilli and bow ties separately in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10 to 12 minutes until each pasta is al dente. Drain and toss into a bowl with the olive oil. Cool to room temperature.
• In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree the pesto, spinach, and lemon juice. Add the mayonnaise and puree. Add the pesto mixture to the cooled pasta and then add the Parmesan, peas, pignoli, salt, and pepper. Mix well, season to taste, and serve at room temperature.
• Place the walnuts, pignoli, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 15 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. Use right away or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.
• Notes: Air is the enemy of pesto. For freezing, pack it in containers with a film of oil or plastic wrap directly on top with the air pressed out.
• To clean basil, remove the leaves, swirl them in a bowl of water, and then spin them very dry in a salad spinner. Store them in a closed plastic bag with a slightly damp paper towel. As long as the leaves are dry they will stay green for several days.

GARDEN PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Cook pasta in large pot of boiling water until al dente. Rinse under cold water, and drain.
• Mix carrots, celery, peppers, tomatoes, and green onion together in large bowl. Add the cooled pasta and mix together. Pour the dressing over mixture, add the Parmesan and mix well.
• Chill before serving.

GARDEN-FRESH PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Cook pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, omitting salt and adding broccoli to the boiling water for the last 3 min. Drain.
• Rinse pasta mixture with cold water; drain well. Place in large bowl. Add all remaining ingredients except cheese; mix lightly.
• Refrigerate 1 hour. Stir gently before serving; top with cheese.

PESTO CHICKEN SALAD (PASTA SALAD STYLE WITH NO PASTA)

Steps:

• Cut pre-cooked chicken into 1" cubes and set aside.
• Prepare vegetables: Thinly slice green onion. Drain and quarter artichoke hearts. Chop cherry tomatos in half. Thaw peas and green beans, I recommend cutting the green beans into approx 1" lengths. Drain all the veggies as well as possible. Squeeze the extra moisture out with a paper towel if you like.
• In a large bowl, mix together greek yogurt, pesto, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
• Mix in all of the vetgetables and chicken. Toss to coat.
• You can eat immediately but I think it tastes better after sitting in the fridge overnight. It's good on its own or served over lettuce or broccoli shreds.

QUICK AND EASY GARDEN CHICKEN PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Toss all ingredients and refrigerate.
• Can be made up to 2 days ahead.
• Serve chilled or at room temperature.
• Can be easily doubled.

GARDEN PESTO PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Rinse with cold water and drain well., Meanwhile, whisk together pesto, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in oil until blended., Combine vegetables and pasta. Drizzle with pesto dressing; toss to coat. Refrigerate, covered, until cold, about 1 hour. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

PESTO PENNE PRIMAVERA

Steps:

• Combine the basil, garlic, 1/4 cup pine nuts, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup olive oil, and lemon juice in a food processor and blend until well combined and has the texture of fresh pesto; set aside.
• Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta in boiling water until cooked yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes; drain. Transfer the pasta to a large bowl. Pour 1 tablespoon olive oil over the pasta and toss to coat; set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Roast the pine nuts in the skillet until lightly browned; remove to a plate and set aside. Add the asparagus, zucchini, Kalamata olives, roasted red pepper, and sun-dried tomatoes to the skillet; cook and stir until hot, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir the pine nuts into the vegetable mixture. Add the pasta and about 1/4 cup of the pesto, or more to your liking, to the skillet and toss to combine. Serve in bowls topped with the grated Parmesan cheese.

CRUNCHY LEMON-PESTO GARDEN SALAD

Steps:

• In a bowl, whisk together the first 6 ingredients until blended. In another bowl, combine squash, cucumbers, peas, Parmesan and green onions. Pour dressing over salad; toss to coat. Top with bacon to serve.

PESTO CHICKEN SALAD WITH RED GRAPES

Steps:

• Pasta and Chicken:.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat; add salt, then the penne. When the water returns to a boil, stir occasionally to separate the penne. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or according to package instructions, until the pasta is al dente. Drain well, rinse with cool water, and drain again.
• While the pasta is cooking, poach the chicken. Pour water into a medium saute pan, to a level about 1 1/2 inches deep (when it is added, the chicken should be covered by about 1/2 inch water). Stir in the salt. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the chicken; reduce the heat to medium. Cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the chicken is just cooked through.
• With a slotted spoon, remove the chicken from the skillet. Cut it into 1-inch pieces and place on a plate to cool. Discard the poaching liquid.
• Basil Pesto:.
• Process all the ingredients in a food processor (or blender) until the mixture is a coarse puree. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
• The pesto will keep for up to 1 week in a covered container in the refrigerator; pour a thin film of olive oil on top of the pesto to prevent discoloration. For longer storage, spoon the mixture into a foil-lined custard cup, cover tightly with foil and freeze. Once frozen, remove the foil-wrapped packet and store in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or remove from the foil and thaw quickly in the microwave.
• Creamy Pesto Dressing:.
• Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning.
• In a medium bowl toss together the pasta, chicken, carrots and grapes. Add the dressing and toss again. Place lettuce on plate and scoop the chicken mixture on top, and garnish as you wish.
• The dressing will keep for up to 2 days in a tightly closed container in the refrigerator. (If it thickens after standing, thin with milk or water.) This salad can be made early the day it is to be served; refrigerate and serve later, either chilled or at room temperature.
• ***Variation***.
• Substitute other pasta shapes, such as rotini or rotelle.
• Rather than poaching the chicken breasts try grilling them.

FABULOUS PESTO PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, salt, pepper, onion powder, mustard, garlic, basil, oregano, cilantro, hot pepper sauce, red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, and Parmesan cheese. Add the tomatoes, green onions and olives to the bowl, and stir to coat. Refrigerate.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook for 7 minutes, or until tender. Drain, and rinse with cold water to cool. Add pasta to the bowl of dressing, and mix well. Top with mozzarella cheese and pine nuts. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

PESTO PASTA WITH CHICKEN

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic until tender, then stir in chicken. Season with red pepper flakes. Cook until chicken is golden, and cooked through.
• In a large bowl, combine pasta, chicken, sun-dried tomatoes and pesto. Toss to coat evenly.

CREAMY PESTO & CHICKEN PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Cook the pasta following pack instructions. Meanwhile, mix the red pepper with the cherry tomatoes and chicken. Mix the pesto and crème fraîche. Drain the pasta, then stir it through. Toss through the veg and chicken and eat immediately, or pack into a container for lunch.

BROCCOLI, PASTA, AND PESTO SALAD

Steps:

• Cook and drain pasta; cool.
• Combine pasta, meat, broccoli, and cheeses in large bowl.
• Put basil and garlic in food processor or blender; whiz.
• Add mayo to food processor or blender.
• Mix thoroughly.
• Stir into pasta mix.
• Toss to coat.
• Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
• During the last 1/2 hour of chilling time, toss once to mix.
• For color contrast, serve with cherry tomatoes, cut in halves.