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Balsamic Chicken, Spinach, Tomato Pasta Salad

A great side dish served beside a burger of choice or even better as a lunch time meal.  It’s sure to have the family coming back for seconds.

Chicken, Cheese tortellini, Spinach, Basil, Tomatoes, and Newman’s Own Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

 

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

-          1 (20-ounce) package cheese tortellini

-          1 pound  skinned and boned chicken breasts, diced

-          1 ½  cup  Newman’s Own Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

-          1 teaspoons  Dijon mustard

-          Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

-          2 cups firmly packed fresh spinach, chopped

-          1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

-          1 ½ cups fresh cherry tomatoes, halved

-          1/2  cup yellow bell pepper, diced 

 

Instructions:

1. Place chicken in a zip-lock bag and pour 1 cup of balsamic vinaigrette in bag with chicken.  Marinate for at least 2 hour, but best if marinated overnight.  Take chicken out of zip-lock bag and discard marinade. 

2. In a grill pan, grill chicken breasts, about 5 to 6 minutes on each side until cooked through.  Place yellow bell pepper slices in grill pan and grill about 2 minutes on each side.  Once cooled, dice chicken up in small bites.

3. Whisk together remaining ½ cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing and mustard in a small bowl.

4. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Transfer pasta to a large bowl and drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Let cool 10 minutes.

5. Toss together pasta, chicken, balsamic mixture, spinach, and remaining 3 ingredients in a large bowl.  Serve immediately, or, if desired, cover and chill 1 hour before serving.