Perfect Pasta Salad

Sometimes I think I am so clever that no one can touch my culinary skills. Other times I realize that everything I know how to do I was taught to do by someone else. Like this Pasta Salad, for example. I was craving Pasta Salad since it's a great simple summer dinner, and I had all of the ingredients on hand. Then, as I was deftly pouring the Tuscan House Italian Dressing over the noodles and thinking I was so special for using salad dressing instead of chopping a bunch of herbs and garlic, I remembered: This is the Suddenly Salad Recipe. Just made from scratch. Darn. Oh, well, it's gluten-free, it's easy, and it's yummy as leftovers the next day. Wouldn't this be yummy if you were packing a lunch for a picnic?

Perfect Pasta Salad

2 cups Tinkyada spiral pasta

1 grilled chicken breast (can be leftovers cut up, I broiled mine quickly in the oven), marinated with two T of Kraft Tuscan House Italian Salad Dressing, cubed or cut into strips

1/2 cup thawed frozen peas

1/2 to 1 cup fresh spinach

1 tomato, diced

3-4 baby carrots, sliced

1/3 to 1/2 cup Kraft Tuscan House Italian Salad Dressing

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

pinch salt

pinch pepper

Brush chicken breast with salad dressing. Cook pasta according to package directions, salting water generously to give noodles flavor. Broil or grill chicken breast while noodles are cooking. When done, set chicken breast aside for a few minutes to let juices redistribute. Drain pasta, place in large mixing bowl. Add 1/2 cup pasta water to noodles. Add vegetables, salad dressing, salt and pepper, and parmesan cheese. Dice or slice chicken, add to salad. Top with garnish of a little more parmesan.

As with all pasta salads, add your own favorite veggies. Some other suggestions are: red onion, red or green bell pepper, mushrooms, cucumber, radishes, broccoli, arugula, whatever sounds good that you happen to have in your fridge that day!

Happy eating!