This tangy hen pasta salad is filled with Mediterranean flavors and is our family-favorite summer time lunch or dinner! It’s a mixture of tender hen, solar dried tomatoes, artichokes, Parmesan cheese, recent herbs, and a zesty French dressing.
Summer season is pasta salad season, in our opinion. Right here’s a brand new recipe our whole household goes loopy over: this hen pasta salad! It’s stuffed with vivid Mediterranean-inspired flavors, and so enjoyable and carefree, Alex and I find it irresistible for patio meals or picnic lunches.
The hen is straightforward to pan sear and comes out so flavorful! Pair that with each recent and solar dried tomatoes, tangy artichokes, Parmesan cheese, recent herbs, and a zesty French dressing, and the combination of flavors and textures is unreal! It’s a spin this well-liked tortellini salad we’ve been making for years, and this hen model is a brand new fave.
“This dish is wonderful. The flavors are spot on. Such a refreshing summer time dish. I put the hen breasts on the grill. Very simple recipe. Can’t wait to make it once more!” -Nancy
Elements on this hen pasta salad recipe
We love this hen pasta salad recipe as a lunch thought (it saves properly for days) or a easy dinner on the patio. It’s additionally nice as a summer time facet dish for a potluck or barbecue. Whereas the ingredient checklist within the recipe under could appear lengthy, by no means concern! Many are pantry staples.
- Hen: You’ll want hen cutlets right here, or you may butterfly the hen your self (merely slice it in half horizontally).
- Penne pasta: We like penne pasta in a pasta salad, however you should utilize different brief pasta like fusilli (spirals) or shells.
- Cherry tomatoes and sundried tomatoes: Two sorts of tomatoes add large taste.
- Canned artichoke hearts: Artichokes deliver a signature tang: these are required!
- Pink onion, arugula, garlic, and parsley (non-obligatory): These recent substances spherical out the recent flavors.
- Recent lemon: Each the zest and juice add large taste to this recipe.
- Shaved Parmesan cheese: This savory, chewy aspect makes the salad extraordinarily satisfying. Omit it for dairy-free.
- Seasonings and pantry substances: Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, smoked paprika, and salt spherical out the seasonings checklist. Olive oil is used for cooking the hen and the dressing, and crimson wine vinegar makes a pop within the dressing.
How you can make hen pasta salad (primary steps)
This hen pasta salad recipe requires about half-hour of prep time to cook dinner the hen, boil the pasta, and make the dressing. There are some things you are able to do prematurely (see under). Listed here are the essential steps:
Step 1: Combine the hen cutlets with salt and seasonings. Add olive oil to a big skillet and warmth over medium excessive warmth. Add the hen and cook dinner for 3 to five minutes per facet, till browned on each side. Relaxation 5 minutes earlier than slicing into cubes, then measure out 2 ½ cups so as to add to the salad.
Step 2: Boil the pasta in salted water till it’s simply al dente. Begin tasting a couple of minutes earlier than the bundle recommends: you need it to be tender however nonetheless just a little agency on the within; normally round 7 to eight minutes.
Step 3: Whisk collectively the lemon zest, lemon juice, crimson wine vinegar, garlic, Italian seasoning, and kosher salt. Chop the tomatoes, solar dried tomatoes, artichokes, onion, and herbs.
Step 4: As soon as the pasta is completed, instantly place it in a bowl with the greens, dressing, cooked hen, Parmesan cheese shavings, arugula, and recent floor black pepper. Serve and luxuriate in!
💡Why purchase natural hen? We suggest shopping for natural because it’s the high-quality meat that’s raised sustainably with out chemical substances. Natural requirements require that the chickens have entry to the outside and can’t be given antibiotics or development hormones (blissful chickens!).
Variations: different greens & cooking strategies
There are a great deal of methods to combine up this hen pasta salad — listed below are just a few concepts we love!
- Grilled hen: One recipe tester used grilled hen and stated it was scrumptious: we love this concept!
- Spinach or kale: Use these greens as an alternative of the arugula
- Recent or canned corn: Including corn provides a pleasant summery aspect.
- Different greens: like zucchini, bell pepper, or olives are nice adders
- Feta cheese: Utilizing feta as an alternative of Parmesan provides one other pop of salt.
- Basil, dill or oregano: these herbs are additionally scrumptious (have in mind, basil turns brown throughout storage).
Storing leftovers and make forward information
This hen pasta salad recipe shops as much as 5 days refrigerated and nonetheless tastes nice! Earlier than serving leftovers, permit them to return to room temperature and add a swirl extra olive oil or a bit extra salt as essential.
Another choice for making this pasta salad forward is cooking the hen and pasta and making the dressing, then refrigerating them individually. Proper earlier than serving, chop the greens and blend collectively the substances.
Extra pasta salad recipes
We’ve made so many pasta salad recipes, and every one has a spot in our hearts! Listed here are a few of our favorites:
Incessantly requested questions
Completely! This salad is a good make-ahead choice. You’ll be able to put together all of the parts individually, retailer them within the fridge, and mix them simply earlier than serving. The flavors will meld and develop much more over time.
Whereas arugula affords a peppery chew that enhances the opposite substances, you may substitute it with spinach, kale, and even romaine lettuce when you favor a milder taste.
For those who’d like to extend the protein content material, take into account including cooked chickpeas or white beans to the salad (improve the salt as properly to account for the extra substances).
Retailer any leftover salad in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3-4 days. The arugula might wilt barely over time, however the general taste will stay scrumptious
Description
This tangy hen pasta salad is filled with Mediterranean flavors and makes for a satisfying summer time lunch or dinner! It’s a stellar mixture of tender hen, solar dried tomatoes, artichokes, Parmesan cheese, recent herbs, and a zesty French dressing.
For the hen
- 2 boneless skinless hen breasts or 4 cutlets (about 1 pound, natural if attainable)
- 1 to 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon every garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, and smoked paprika
- Freshly floor black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For the pasta salad:
- 8 ounces penne pasta
- 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- ¼ cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 can artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
- 1 handful thinly sliced crimson onion
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley or chives, non-obligatory
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon crimson wine vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, grated (or ½ teaspoon garlic powder)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups child arugula
- ¼ cup shaved Parmesan cheese
- Recent floor black pepper, to style
- Prepare dinner the hen: Pat the hen dry with a paper towel and sprinkle on each side with the kosher salt*. In a small bowl, combine the garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, smoked paprika, and some grinds of black pepper, then sprinkle over the hen. Add the olive oil to a big skillet and warmth over medium excessive warmth. Add the hen and cook dinner for 3 to five minutes per facet, till browned on each side. When the interior temperature is 165°F or the middle is now not pink, take away to a plate. Relaxation 5 minutes earlier than slicing into cubes, then measure out 2 ½ cups so as to add to the salad.
- Begin a big pot of well-salted water to boil. Boil the pasta till al dente, in keeping with the bundle directions. Drain the pasta and run cool water over it till it’s room temperature.
- In the meantime, put together the tomatoes, solar dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, onion, and parsley or chives as famous within the substances checklist above.
- In a big bowl, whisk collectively the lemon zest, lemon juice, crimson wine vinegar, garlic, Italian seasoning, and kosher salt. Then whisk within the olive oil.
- As quickly because the pasta is completed, add it to the big bowl of dressing and toss with the chopped greens and herbs. Add the arugula, Parmesan cheese, and recent floor black pepper and stir to mix.
- Style and add extra salt to style if essential. Serve instantly. Shops as much as 5 days refrigerated (leftovers style nice; permit to come to room temperature and add a swirl extra olive oil or a bit extra salt as essential).
Notes
*Be aware: If the hen is nearer to 1 ½ kilos, use as much as 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt. For those who purchase the hen as breasts that aren’t already butterflied or cutlets, butterfly the hen by putting your hand excessive of every hen breast and utilizing a pointy knife to rigorously slice the breast horizontally, leaving the sting intact so it may possibly open up like a e-book (or butterfly!). Unfold the breast like a e-book, then lower alongside the fold to separate the 2 halves.
- Class: Pasta salad
- Technique: Stovetop
- Delicacies: American
