Quick and Easy Chicken Pasta Salad

A simple, healthy, tasty pasta salad with butter roasted chicken and a lot of crunchy garden fresh vegetables tossed in a light creamy yogurt dressing seasoned with Italian herbs is a refreshing salad that is craved for.

Serves : 2 to 3 persons
Served : Cold or room temperature

Preparation time :

* Creamy yogurt dressing and Preparing vegetables - 5 Min

* Frying Chicken and Cooking Pasta - (8 - 10) min (different pans at the same time)

* Mixing and plating salad - (3-5) Min

Total time : 15 to 20 min

Step 1: Ingredients

1) Penne Pasta - 1 Cup

2) Yogurt/Curd - 1/4 Cup

3) Milk - 1/4 to 1/3 Cup

4) Mayonnaise - 2 Tbsp

6) Butter - 2 Tsp

7) Chicken - 100 g

8) Chili Flakes - 1 Tsp

9) Oregano - 1 Tsp

10) Dry Basil - 1 Tsp

11) Pepper Powder - 1 Tsp

12) Salt - as per taste

13) Water for boiling the pasta

14) Chopped Onion - 1/4 Cup

15) Chopped Tomato - 1/4 Cup

16) Chopped Capsicum - 1/4 Cup

17) Chopped Carrot - 1/4 Cup

18) Sliced Olives - 1/4 Cup

19) Chopped Cilantro - 1/4 Cup

Utensils :

* Heavy bottom pan for boiling pasta

* Pan for frying chicken

* Bowls, plates, spoons for mixing and serving the salad.

Step 2: Creamy Yogurt Dressing

1) In a clean Bowl, add the yogurt, mayonnaise, milk and mix.

2) Then add the chili flakes, oregano, dry basil, pepper powder and salt to the yogurt mixture and mix everything well.

3) Then Cover the mixture and refrigerate before using the dressing.

Note :

* The amount of spices added can be increased/decreased as per our taste bud.

* The consistency of the dressing should neither be too runny nor be thick. Creamy pour able consistency can be obtained by increasing or decreasing the milk content.

* Make sure the curd/yogurt is not sour.

* Make sure the milk is either in room temperature or cold.

Step 3: Boiling the Pasta

1) In a heavy bottom pan, add water and bring it to boil.

2) When it starts to boil then add the salt.

3) After adding salt, when it again starts to boil then add the pasta and stir immediately to avoid the pasta from sticking together.

4) Cook till pasta becomes soft and not mushy. approximately 8 - 10 min

5) Strain and remove the pasta and run it under cold water to cool it down for the salad.

Note:

* Keep stirring occasionally so that the pasta does not stick to each other or to the bottom of the pan.

* For each cup of pasta, add 4 to 5 cups of water to boil the pasta

Step 4: Roasting the Chicken

1) Place a pan on medium heat and add butter.

2) When the butter melts add the chicken pieces to the pan evenly spaced.

3) Allow the chicken to cook on one side and then flip it over to cook on the other side.

4) Then season it lightly with salt.

5) Fry till the chicken is completely cooked and becomes golden brown in color.

6) Remove the fried chicken and chop them into bite size pieces to add them to the salad

Note:

* Make small pieces of chicken without any bone and skin.

Step 5: Mix Up the Salad !!!

1) In a clean bowl, add the vegetables one by one (Onions,capsicum,carrots,tomatoes, cilantro) and mix well

2) Then add the cooked penne pasta (after running under cold water) to the vegetable mix.

3) Add some of the butter roasted chicken that are cut into bite size pieces to the salad and mix.

4) Pour the cold dressing on the salad and mix well.

5) Finally top it with olives, the remaining roasted chicken(add at the last for crunchy chicken) give it a toss.

Quick and Easy Chicken Pasta Salad is now ready to be served.