Cooking adventures in a small, closet sized, kitchen. I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again grilled chicken pesto pasta years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen.
A pasta salad with grilled chicken, summer ripened tomatoes, onions and fresh basil, tossed in a tangy balsamic vinaigrette! It’s hard to beat late summer, field ripened, tomatoes and this bruschetta pasta salad is a great way to enjoy them! Bruschetta is an appetizer where toasted baguette slices are topped with a mixture of diced tomatoes, onions, garlic, basil and a splash of balsamic vinegar. This pasta salad takes the same ingredients, replacing the toast with pasta, and dressing it in a balsamic vinaigrette. Cook the pasta as directed on the package, drain, mix with olive oil and let cool, mixing every 5 minutes.
The oil and mixing helps prevent it from sticking together while it cools. 3-5 minutes per side, before setting aside to cool, and slicing into bite sized pieces. Mix the pasta, chicken, tomatoes, red onion, basil, and mozzarella. Toss the salad and the dressing and enjoy! Option: Omit the chicken for a vegetarian version! Italian seasoning, in addition to the salt and pepper. Option: Cook the chicken a day ahead of time.
