Chicken Pasta Salad is a refreshing option for dinner on a hot summer night or at a neighborhood barbecue. The leftovers make an easy lunch the next day.
Ingredients can be prepped and pasta cooked a day ahead of time and chilled (add 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil to the cooked pasta). Toss everything together just before serving.
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried ditali pasta (or other small pasta shape)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup ricotta cheese (drained)
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (or substitute sour cream)
- 2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste, plus more for pasta water)
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper (or to taste)
- 1 cup fresh corn kernels (from 2 or 3 ears of corn)
- 1 cup small diced red onion
- 2 cup shredded, cooked chicken meat
- 2 cup halved grape tomatoes
- ½ cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
- chili powder (as garnish, optional)
- 8–10 whole lettuce leaves (optional)
Directions
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender to the bite, 9 to 12 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse thoroughly under cold water until completely cool. Toss with oil.
In a medium bowl, whisk together ricotta, yogurt, lemon zest and juice, salt, and pepper.
In a large bowl, toss together pasta, corn, red onion, chicken, tomatoes, and basil. Add ricotta-yogurt dressing to pasta mixture and stir to evenly coat pasta. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chili powder (if using). Serve on lettuce leaves (if using).
