Summertime Chicken and Pasta Salad
This is one of my favorites. My best friend makes this, but I have tweaked it to suit my familys tastes.
This is one of my favorites. My best friend makes this, but I have tweaked it to suit my familys tastes.
- Carbohydrate 18.3517916666667 g
- Cholesterol 4.9 mg
- Fat 1.21381666666667 g
- Fiber 2.17825004676978 g
- Protein 5.51091666666667 g
- Saturated Fat 0.7187 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (264g)
- Sodium 136.694166666667 mg
- Sugar 16.1735416198969 g
- Trans Fat 0.108104166666667 g
- Calories 102 calories
Step-by-step
- Hard boil the eggs by placing them into a saucepan in a single layer. Fill with water to cover the eggs by 1 inch. Cover the saucepan and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, remove from the heat and let the eggs stand in the hot water for 15 minutes. Pour out the hot water, then cool the eggs under cold running water in the sink. Peel once cold.
- Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the bow tie pasta and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink, and rinse with cold water.
- Simmer the chicken tenders in about 1/4 cup of water in a saucepan over medium-low heat, until no longer pink inside. Remove the tenders from the water, and set aside to cool.
- Cut the tenders into bite-size pieces. Slice the eggs. Combine the cooked pasta, chicken, eggs, cucumber, radishes, carrots, green onions, and red onion in a salad bowl, and pour the Italian dressing over. Toss lightly to mix, and refrigerate the salad for at least 1 hour, or until cold.
- Place about 3/4 cup of sliced romaine hearts on each plate, then top with about 1 cup of pasta-chicken salad to serve.
Rigid bow-tie pasta coated in sharp Italian dressing meets crisp rounds of radishes, yielding a dish defined by cold temperatures and distinct contrasts in texture. Treating a pasta salad with the same rigor as a hot entree ensures the components do not turn mushy or absorb excess moisture during storage. Maintaining structural integrity across starches and raw vegetables requires strict adherence to cooling windows and uniform knife work.
Temperature Control for Starch and Protein
Boiling the farfalle until it achieves an al dente bite—precisely 12 minutes in salted water—prevents the pasta from disintegrating when tossed with high-acid dressings. Rinsing the drained pasta under cold running water immediately stops the internal cooking process and washes away excess surface starch that would otherwise clump the bows together. Simmering chicken tenders in a shallow pool of water rather than boiling them hard keeps the meat tender and prevents dry edges that resist dressing absorption. Allowing the assembled salad to rest in the refrigerator for at least one hour enables the oil and vinegar base to penetrate the pasta without dissolving the crunch of the carrots and cucumbers.
Storage and Make-Ahead Mechanics
Preparing components in advance supports budget-friendly cooking by minimizing waste and utilizing items already on hand. Hard-boiled eggs retain their sulfur freshness when peeled just before assembly, though cooked components can sit covered in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours without losing structural integrity. Freezing is entirely unsuitable for this dish, as the high water content in cucumbers and lettuce ruptures cell walls upon thawing, turning crisp elements into unpalatable liquid. Layering the romaine hearts at the base of individual plates rather than mixing them directly into the large bowl keeps the greens crisp throughout multi-day service.
