I posted this recipe last summer during the Fourth of July, but can’t help but post it again this month in honor of our ‘pasta’ month. This pasta salad visits our kitchen table nearly every month–and even more during the summer. It is a MUST at all of our family barbecues and has so much flavor and texture it is plain fun to eat! One of the keys to making this salad fabulous is the heavily seasoned chicken with lemon pepper. It sounds weird, because there is not lemon in the dressing or any other part of the recipe, but having that extra tang and seasoning on the chicken makes this salad incredibly good!
Ingredients
- 16 oz. bowtie or farfalle pasta
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Lemon pepper for seasoning chicken
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 2-3 cup fresh spinach leaves
- DRESSING:
- 1/3 cup oil
- 1/3-1/2 cup sugar depending how sweet you like the dressing
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. sesame seeds
- 3 Tbs. soy sauce
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1 tsp. fresh garlic minced
Instructions
- Season chicken heavily with lemon pepper and saute until cooked through (or grill). Cut chicken into cubes. Cook noodles and drain. Add the cooked chicken and drained pasta into a serving bowl. Add the bean sprouts, sesame seeds, and spinach to the hot noodles and chicken. Combine dressing ingredients into a bowl. Add dressing to salad, and cover until ready to serve.
