Chicken Chipotle Pasta Salad
Loaded with fresh vegetables, tender chicken, crispy bacon and a creamy chipotle lime yogurt dressing – this easy to make pasta salad will become a new favorite at outdoor gatherings all summer long.
Yield:6-8 Servings
Print10 mins
40 minsIngredients
1 pound pipe rigate pasta (or similar shape)
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 orange bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 small head broccoli, cut into small florets
1 15-ounce can large ripe black olives, drained
4 slices thick cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup plain, non-fat Greek yogurt
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 limes, juiced
2 tablespoons chipotle sauce from canned chipotle in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Directions
- Bring a 6-quart stockpot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta according to the packages directions. Drain and set aside.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season generously with kosher salt and black pepper. Heat a 10” non-stick skillet over medium heat and drizzle 1 tablespoon of avocado or grapeseed oil. Cook the chicken breasts for 20-25 minutes, depending on the thickness, flipping halfway through making sure they are brown on each side. You want the internal temperature to reach 165°F. Remove from the heat, let sit for 10 minutes before cutting into 1-inch dice.
- In a 2-quart saucepan, fitted with a steamer, steam the broccoli until tender – about 5-6 minutes.
- In a small bowl whisk together the yogurt, buttermilk, lime juice, chipotle sauce, salt and cumin to make the dressing.
- In the large stockpot that you cooked the pasta in, toss together the pasta and 1/3 of the dressing until completely coated. Add in the diced peppers, broccoli, chicken, olives and crumbled bacon. Drizzle the remaining dressing over top and toss until completely coated. Transfer to a serving platter and serve the pasta salad warm, at room temperature or chilled.
- Store any remaining pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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