One of my favorite things to make in the spring and summer is pasta salad. It’s hearty, quick and so delicious.
I usually just whip up a batch of my all time favorite balsamic vinaigrette and then toss in some fresh veggies. My carnivores need their protein so I simply use some of that same balsamic vinaigrette as a marinade for chicken. A few minutes on the grill and you have a hearty meal that your whole family will love!
Recently the folks at Good Cook sent me a ton of fun new kitchen goodies so I put them to use in this recipe. They have a new promotion called the Build Your Kitchen Drawer Sweepstakes where you can build and win YOUR ideal kitchen drawer filled with great Good Cook tools and gadgets.
Starting June 2nd you can visit goodcook.com and choose up to 15 items from selected Good Cook products to create your ideal kitchen drawer then enter to win everything that you selected. If you can’t decide what you want, you can let the Kitchen Experts help – simply choose one of the featured Kitchen Expert Blogger drawers and enter it for a chance to win.
There will also be instant win prized awarded daily. Look for the “ADD ME” icon on any participating product and add that item to your drawer for a chance to win.
Here’s what I chose for my drawer –
- Double-Sided Flip Measuring Cups, Set of 2 – Fabulous as you measure and simply invert to easily empty the ingredients.
- Liquid Measuring Cup, 4 Cup – Huge cup – perfect for measuring large quantities and also for mixing up batters, dressings and more
- “Measure From Above” 3 Piece Liquid Measuring Cup Set – Love this set…you’ll always have a cup for your ingredients
- Prep Bowls, 5pc Set – Makes prep so much easier – great for setting up your recipes.
- Measuring Cup, Mini 1/4 Cup – So handy – perfect size for sauces.
- Stuffed Burger Press – Delicious burgers made easy.
- Skewers, 12″ Metal 4ct. – Just in time for grilling season. Skewer your favorite meats and veggies for a quick and easy meal.
- Plastic Pastry & Basting Brush, 1″ – Barbecues, marinades and more. Simple to use and easy to clean.
- Parmesan Cheese Grater – Sprinkle some cheese on your pasta or finely grate veggies for your sauce.
- Folding Grater – Convenient and easy to grate cheeses, vegetables and more. Folds away for easy storage.
- Touch Stainless Steel Turner – I love this for the grill. Flip burgers and chicken without melting your utensils.
- Egg Slicer & Chopper – Great for eggs, mushrooms, strawberries and more. Simple to use.
- All Purpose Clips, 4pk – Who can’t use more clips. I use mine to seal snacks, frozen veggies and so much more.
- Pastry Blender – Whip up pie crusts, biscuits and more.
- Double Handle Colander – Great for straining pasta, vegetables and more. Heavy duty and made to last.
I used my gadget to whip up my recipe for Balsamic Pasta Salad with Grilled Chicken. Give the recipe a try and let me know what you think.
- [u]Vinaigrette & Marinade[/u]
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon honey dijon mustard [url href=”https://www.iheartpublix.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/pasta-ingredients-1.jpg”][img src=”https://www.iheartpublix.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/pasta-ingredients-1.jpg” width=”500″ height=”390″ class=”aligncenter size-full” title=”pasta-ingredients”][/url]
- [u]Pasta Salad[/u]
- 16 oz pasta, cooked according to package instructions and allowed to come to room temperature
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 2 tablespoons basil, chopped
- 2 tablespoons black olives, sliced
- 1/2 cup heart of palm, quartered
- 1/2 cup artichoke hearts, chopped
- 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 4 oz crumbled feta
- 1/2 – 1 pound chicken breast, cut into large chunks
- Mix all ingredients together except olive oil.
- Gradually whisk in olive oil until emulsified.
- Pour 1/4 cup of prepared vinaigrette over chicken chunks and allow to marinade for 30 min – 1 hour.
- Skewer chicken and grill for approximately 3 minutes per side, or until cooked through.
- Mix cooked pasta, basil, tomatoes, black olives, artichoke hearts, heart of palm, chickpeas and remaining dressing.
- Toss to mix.
- Sprinkle with feta and serve with cooked chicken.
Need more meal ideas? Check out these other recipes from other Good Cook Kitchen Experts.
So I made this for dinner for my husband and me. It was very good, and we had leftovers. We both had it for lunch the next day, and then had to flip a coin to see who could get the rest for one last dinner! He won. I have to make this again-soon! This is REALLY REALLY good. I love these recipes and the photos. Hoping to find one soon for a breakfast egg casserole?
So I made this for dinner for my husband and me. It was very good, and we had leftovers. We both had it for lunch the next day, and then had to flip a coin to see who could get the rest for one last dinner! He won. I have to make this again-soon! This is REALLY REALLY good. I love these recipes and the photos. Hoping to find one soon for a breakfast egg casserole?