Strawberry Chicken and Spinach Pasta Salad

DeLallo Organic Whole Wheat Farfalle – DeLallo is one of the highest quality and best tasting pastas I’ve worked with. It always holds up well during cooking and doesn’t fall apart. Farfalle, also called bow tie pasta or butterfly pasta, is great for both hot and cold pasta dishes. It has a tender but firm bite and does well in a lighter sauce or dressing like this pesto vinaigrette.

Chicken – You can use chicken breasts or thighs for this salad. If using skin on chicken, I would remove it before adding it to the salad since it won’t stay crispy.

DeLallo Private Reserve Extra Virgin Olive Oil – When using olive oil in a non-cooked application such as a vinaigrette, dressing, or drizzling on top of something, always use the highest quality you can find and afford. The flavor will be far superior.

DeLallo Basil Pesto – Basil pesto is used as both a marinade for the chicken and the main ingredient in the vinaigrette for the pasta salad. I love using DeLallo’s pesto because they use fresh ingredients, olive oil, and it doesn’t contain any additives or preservatives. It’s the best alternative to homemade that I’ve found.

Lemon – Adds a bright, tart, acidic component to the chicken marinade and vinaigrette. Please use a fresh lemon vs. bottled lemon juice if possible.

White Balsamic Vinegar – I opted for white balsamic vs. regular balsamic vinegar in this recipe primarily so that the color doesn’t get muddied. White balsamic vinegar also has a slightly milder, less sweet flavor and is less syrupy than dark balsamic vinegar.

Maple Syrup – Used to sweeten the vinaigrette. You can replace with honey if you prefer.

Strawberries – Although available year round, they’re at their peak in late spring and summer. Look for bright red strawberries without any white or green on the exterior and smell them before buying. They should smell sweet.

Spinach – Holds up well in this pasta salad and won’t wilt immediately like a more tender green.

Goat Cheese – Adds a creaminess and tang to the salad. Goat cheese and strawberries are a common combination because their flavors balance each other.

Sliced Almonds – The almonds add a nice textural crunch to the pasta salad and add a nutty flavor. Toast the almonds before adding them to the salad for the best flavor.

1. Marinate the chicken in the pesto and lemon juice for 1-2 hours.
2. Make the vinaigrette by combining the pesto, white balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, olive oil, salt and pepper. I like to use a jar to make vinaigrettes and dressing so that I can just screw on the lid and shake it until well combined.
3. After the chicken has marinated, grill it until the internal temperature reaches 165° F. If you don’t have a grill use a grill pan and cook it on your stove. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes or longer before dicing it.
4. Cook the pasta in salted water. Not just a pinch of salt, you want the water to taste like the ocean. You’ll also want to cook the pasta about 2 minutes past al dente. Since this is a cold pasta salad there won’t be any heat from a sauce to continue cooking the pasta. The pasta will regain it’s al dente texture once it’s been rinsed under cold water.
5. Rinse and drain the pasta under cold water and then add it to a serving bowl. Toss it with half of the vinaigrette.
6. Add the diced chicken, strawberries, chopped spinach, and toasted almonds into the bowl. Pour on the remaining vinaigrette and stir everything together until combined. Taste for seasoning. You may find that you need to add additional salt and pepper.
7. Add in the goat cheese at the end and either arrange it on top of the salad or very gently stir it in. Since this is a soft cheese it has a tendency to fall apart in the salad.