Sweet and Savory Pasta Salad

by Stephanie

Here is another great spring pasta salad.  You can leave out the chicken if you are just looking for a side dish.  I LOVE the strawberries in it especially now when they are fresh and sweet.  You can also replace the pasta will a great leaf lettuce (if you are carb counting).  Cucumbers, avocado, mint and cantaloupe are great other options for this salad.  Just use what you have. 

Sweet and Savory Bowtie Pasta

2 Chicken breasts cooked and chopped up into ½” pieces

1 lb box bowtie pasta, cooked in salted water to directions and drained

1 lb strawberries-washed and sliced into ½” pieces

1 lb grapes –cut in half if they are big (I have also used cantaloupe too)

6-7 green onions chopped

Sugared Almonds (see below)

Dressing: I use either 1/2 cup Brianna’s Poppy seed dressing mixed with ½ cup mayo or 1/2 cup Brianna’s Poppy seed dressing with 1/2 cup Brianna’s Blush Wine dressing.  You might need a bit more dressing, but don’t overdress it or it will be soggy!

Sugared Almonds: melt 2 Tbsp butter and add in ½ cup Tbsp brown sugar. Add in1/2 cup almonds and coat with sugar mix. Spread onto cookie sheet and put under broiler on high for 3-4 minutes stirring every minute or so. Watch VERY CAREFULLY! They will go from toasted to burned in about 10 seconds, so take them out as soon as they are golden.