Chicken Pasta Salad with Lemon Herb Dressing

Ingredients

• 12 ounces dry rotini pasta (340 g)
• 3 cups pulled cooked chicken (510 g)
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved (300 g)
• 1 medium cucumber, diced (250 g)
• 1 red bell pepper, diced (160 g)
• 3/4 cup crumbled feta (110 g)
• 1/2 cup sliced olives (70 g)
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil (72 g)
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (60 g)
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley (8 g)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta firmly. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook rotini for 1 minute less than the package's tender timing. Bite a spiral: the center should be firm but not chalky. Drain.
2. Whisk the dressing. Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon, oregano, salt, and pepper until slightly thickened. Stir in parsley. The dressing should look unified but not creamy. Taste it with one cooled pasta spiral, since plain.
3. Prepare even pieces. Halve the tomatoes and dice cucumber and bell pepper into bite-size pieces. Pat the cut vegetables dry with a clean towel. Pull chicken into pieces close to the pasta size. This scale lets.
4. Dress while barely warm. Transfer the barely warm pasta to a wide bowl and toss it with half the dressing. The spirals should look glossy with no puddle below. Let them stand for 5 minutes so the.
5. Fold the salad. Add chicken, tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, olives, and remaining dressing. Fold gently until the colors and chicken are distributed. Add two-thirds of the feta and fold once more. Keep the remaining cheese for.
6. Chill and finish. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes within the preparation window, then stir before serving. If the pasta looks dry, add 15 g olive oil rather than extra lemon juice. Divide into.

Notes

• Use the visual texture cues in the instructions instead of relying on the timer alone for every stage.
• Refrigerate leftovers for 4 days, and freeze only the suitable components for up to 2 months.
• Measure wet additions carefully because extra liquid changes how the finished filling, sauce, or coating holds.

Nutrition Facts