Happy Spring! Thank y’all for asking about the pasta salad I posted to Instagram. I’ve had multiple texts and DMs asking for the recipe so I figured this would be the easiest access point.

I’ve been making this pasta salad for at least 15 years. I change it up to include the veggies I have on hand - in the summer I use tomatoes, basil and lettuce from my garden while in the winter I tend to use sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, olives and spinach. It’s versatile and can be made with gluten free pasta for those less tolerant. I always put leftover roasted chicken in mine but of course you could leave it out for vegetarians. And the dressing is amazing. I keep it on hand for all kinds of salad dressings. It makes an amazing marinade for chicken, too.

Here it is!

Chicken and veggie pasta salad

8-10 ounces bow tie pasta, uncooked

2 cups shredded chicken from a Bales Farms buttermilk chicken (use white and dark meat if needed!)

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup black olives, quartered

1-2 cups shredded lettuce or spinach leaves

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (or feta)

Dressing:

3/4 cup good quality olive oil

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons mustard

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, dried basil, dried oregano or other dried seasonings

salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the bow tie pasta according to the directions and as needed for the amount of people you’re feeding.

Slice, dice, pull and shred the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Once the pasta is tender and cool, add to the bowl and pour dressing on, tossing to cover.

I often make this salad the day before I need it for a shower, to take to a friend, a family gathering or picnic. I pour the dressing on when I prepare it and make another dressing to take. That way if it’s a little dry you can add it tableside. And y’all know I always get my olive oil and vinegars from Zi Olive. You can order them online or visit them in downtown Gatlinburg in the Village shopping center (come on, y’all know it’s behind The Pancake Pantry and Ol Smokey taffy, don’t even act like you don’t stop in both places when you’re in Gatlinburg!). Go see Don Goins. He’s the best educator on the correct use of oil and vinegar I know. He’s amazing!

Also, can we talk about feta for a minute? It’s pretty polarizing. Some people love it and some people HATE it, so if I even think of serving it I put it in a small bowl to the side.

Well that’s it folks! It’s super simple and easy. I hope you try it and love it. (I’m just realizing this would make a great spring picnic idea with the crusty artisan bread I shared on another blog post. . .)

Aliceson