Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad with Chicken, Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes |
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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 0 Minutes |
Ready In: 0 Minutes Servings: 8 |
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A tangy buttermilk dressing ties together this pasta salad studded with asparagus, chicken, artichokes, and cherry tomatoes! Ingredients:
creamy buttermilk dressing |
1 large garlic clove, minced |
1/3 cup mayonnaise |
1/3 cup sour cream |
1/3 cup buttermilk |
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar |
pasta salad |
2 tablespoons salt |
1 pound bow tie (farfalle) pasta |
8 ounces trimmed asparagus, cut into 1-inch lengths |
1 pound cooked chicken breast strips, pulled into bite-size pieces |
8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved and lightly salted |
1 (14 ounce) can whole artichoke hearts, drained, cut into sixths |
3 green onions, thinly sliced |
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted in a small skillet over low heat until golden |
1/4 cup pesto (homemade or refrigerated prepared variety) |
Directions:
1. Mix dressing ingredients in a small bowl; keep chilled until ready to toss with salad. (Store in clean jar with lid.)
2. 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.
3. 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.
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