Pineapple Poppy Seed Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

1 lb Barrilla Piccolini Mini Farfalle Pasta
1 16oz bottle Kraft Creamy Poppy seed Salad Dressing
1 20oz can Crushed Pineapple, drained
3 green onions, thinly sliced
3 large ribs of celery, chopped (use 8 ribs if using, pre-trimmed stalks from the heart)
1 whole chicken, roasted and chopped

Directions:

If you are roasting your own chicken, cook at 350 degrees until and internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. After you remove it from the oven, allow to cool for about 30-45 minutes before pulling and chopping the meat. If you are using a rotisserie chicken, simply pull and chop the meat and set aside.

Cook pasta according to directions on box. Be sure to salt the water - the dressing is sweet, so you need the pasta to be seasoned well, to balance the flavors. You should put in about a handful of salt into the boiling water. Do not over cook the pasta - it will absorb the dressing once the salad is all assembled. Drain the pasta and rinse under cold water.

While pasta is cooking, slice the green onions and celery. Keep in mind that you are using small, dainty pasta, so you want the chicken and celery pieces scaled accordingly - about 1/4 inch chop on the celery and 1/2 - 1 inch chop on the chicken.

Toss all the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Chill at least an hour before serving.

Serves 6 (It keeps great in the fridge, so even if you don't have 6 in your family, make the whole recipe and eat it for lunches the next day)


To find out how I made this dish frugally, check out the post on my other blog here.

Check out more chicken recipes at Life as MOM's Ultimate Recipe Swap