Grilled Chicken Pasta Salad

Name: Grilled Chicken Pasta Salad
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: Salt; 1/2 pound short-cut pasta; 3 garlic cloves, chopped; 2 tablespoons grill seasoning, such as McCormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning, 2 palmfuls; 2 teaspoons hot sauce (eyeball it); 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (eyeball it); 5 tablespoons red wine vinegar; 1/2 cup EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil; eyeball it); 2 large onions, sliced 1 inch thick; 6 thin-cut chicken breast cutlets; 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (eyeball it); Black pepper; 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese, a handful; 2 bunches arugula, thoroughly washed and coarsely chopped; 1 small head radicchio, cored and coarsely chopped; 2 cups fresh basil, 20 leaves, coarsely chopped; 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, a generous handful, chopped; 3 celery ribs, thinly sliced; 1 ball fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into bite-size pieces; 1 pint grape tomatoes, left whole if small, cut in half if large

December 9, 2011

Talk about flexible, this chicken is a cheerleader. Yes, it’s equally good steaming hot or icebox cold. Eat this dish four seasons of the year, hot or not, indoors or out. It’s G-R-E-A-T . . . great!

Recipe information

Yield
4 servings

Ingredients

Salt

1/2 pound short-cut pasta

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tablespoons grill seasoning, such as McCormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning, 2 palmfuls

2 teaspoons hot sauce (eyeball it)

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (eyeball it)

5 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/2 cup EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil; eyeball it)

2 large onions, sliced 1 inch thick

6 thin-cut chicken breast cutlets

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (eyeball it)

Black pepper

1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese, a handful

2 bunches arugula, thoroughly washed and coarsely chopped

1 small head radicchio, cored and coarsely chopped

2 cups fresh basil, 20 leaves, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, a generous handful, chopped

3 celery ribs, thinly sliced

1 ball fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into bite-size pieces

1 pint grape tomatoes, left whole if small, cut in half if large

Preparation

Step 1
Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill to high heat.
Step 2
Bring a large pot of water with a tight-fitting lid to a boil over high heat. Once the water boils, add some salt and the pasta, and cook according to package directions until al dente.
Step 3
In a small bowl, mix the garlic, grill seasoning, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and 2 tablespoons of the vinegar. Whisk in 1/4 cup of the EVOO. Divide the mixture between two shallow bowls. Add the sliced onions to one and the chicken cutlets to the other. Toss to coat both thoroughly and marinate for a few minutes.
Step 4
In a salad bowl, combine the mustard and the remaining 3 tablespoons of vinegar with a little salt and pepper. In a slow, steady stream, whisk in the remaining 1/4 cup of EVOO, then add the grated cheese. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it thoroughly and add it to the salad bowl with the dressing; toss to coat. Since you are adding the pasta while it is still hot, the dressing will really soak into the pasta.
Step 5
Grill the onion slices, cooking them on each side until well marked, about 2 to 3 minutes. Grill the chicken cutlets for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove the onions and the chicken from the grill to a cutting board to rest and cool off for about 5 minutes. Coarsely chop the grilled onions and cut the chicken into thin strips. Add them to the dressed pasta. Add the arugula, radicchio, basil, parsley, celery, mozzarella, and grape tomatoes. Season with a little salt and pepper and toss thoroughly.

Rachael Ray Express Lane Meals

Recipe information

Ingredients

Preparation

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Recipe notes