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bruschetta chicken pasta salad
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Bruschetta Chicken Pasta Salad

Stella Drivas
This Bruschetta chicken pasta salad comes together quickly, is bright, fresh and bursting with Italian flavors!
Servings: 8
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
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Equipment

Ingredients
 

Balsamic Dressing:

  • 2/3 cup (145 g) olive oil
  • 1/3 cup (85 g) balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tbs honey
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp each Italian herb blend + dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp chili flakes

Salad:

  • 2 chicken breasts, cut into thirds strips
  • 1/2 lb (225 g) uncooked dry bowtie pasta
  • 8 slices bacon , cooked + chopped
  • 1 pint (0.45 kg) cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
  • 8 oz (225 g) mozzarella pearls
  • 2 tbs basil, chopped
  • 1/3 cup (35 g) grated parmesan cheese

Instructions
 

Balsamic Dressing:

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, garlic, Italian herb blend, oregano, salt and chili flakes until combined.

Salad:

  • Cook your pasta al dente as per instructions on the packaging. Drain and set aside to slightly cool.
  • Place the chicken strips in a ziplock bag, pour in 1/3 of the dressing into the bag and toss until coated. Put it in the fridge for 30 minutes or overnight. In a large skillet, heat your oil over medium-high. I used leftover bacon grease or you can use 1 tbs olive oil. Once hot, add in the chicken strips and cook chicken for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through (or until internal temp reaches 165F). Let them rest on a plate for 5 minutes and then dice up into small pieces.
  • In a large bowl, toss together the pasta, chicken, tomatoes, mozzarella, bacon, basil, parmesan and the dressing until coated.

Notes

You may also like this Easy Greek Style Pasta Salad
  1. Store leftovers in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 4 days.
  2. You can use boneless + skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts.
  3. You can use mozzarella balls instead of pearls. 
  4. You can also sub in prosciutto or salami instead of bacon.
Calories: 432kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 17g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 14g, Trans Fat: 0.004g, Cholesterol: 33mg, Sodium: 285mg, Potassium: 326mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 379IU, Vitamin C: 14mg, Calcium: 159mg, Iron: 1mg
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