Lemon Chicken Pasta Salad

The sun shines a little brighter now that I’ve started the vaccination process! 5 more weeks until full protection, but everyday I feel a little less… something. This week, I celebrated my 29th birthday by accidentally also scheduling a shelter food donation for the same weekend. I didn’t mind though; it was nice to spend what ended up being a 4-day weekend doing something I always love, cooking for others.

In posting that tentative menu (now deleted), I definitely tried to bite off more than I could chew, especially considering how tired I was. Because I wasn’t sure how I’d feel after the vaccine, I simplified the set significantly. A delicious pasta salad, some chips, drink, and roasted veggies as a side.

I know what “pasta salad” is to a lot of people. It sounds like a boring bland stupid catering side dish, and most of the time it is. I was skeptical when I first heard that it was our best seller and a staple at the Nordstrom eBar. But you know what? It’s filling and refreshing, and stupid freaking delicious because of its simplicity. I ate it multiple times a week for several months and it’s (sadly lol) one of my fondest Nordstrom memories.

Unfortunately this was another recipe that vanished into the digital ethers, so this is just a recreation. I think I came pretty darn close though!

All packed up with veggies on the side.

Lemon Chicken Pasta Salad

Lemon Vinaigrette - yields 2.5 cups

1. Marinate together in a bowl for 10 minutes:

   • 1/2 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed

   • zest of some of the lemons (optional)

   • 4 cloves garlic, minced

2. Strain the garlic from the lemon juice and discard.

   • This technique infuses the flavor of the garlic without its pungency.

3. Place strained lemon juice in a tall and skinny container, and add:

   • 1 Tbsp dijon mustard

   • 1 Tbsp sugar

   • pinch dried oregano

   • 1 tsp black pepper, freshly cracked

   • 1/2 tsp salt

4. While blending with an immersion blender, stream in:

   • 1/2 cup canola oil

   • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil

   • Stream in the canola oil on high first to establish an emulsion, then add olive oil on a lower speed to prevent shearing (olive oil can turn bitter if not handled gently).

5. Adjust to taste:

   • Season with more salt, sugar, or acid. (I like a little bit of vinegar to bump the acidity in a non-mouthpuckering lemony way.)

   • The dressing should be able to coat the back of a spoon, but it won’t be thick and gloopy. Stream in up to 1/2 cup more oil if it’s a little thin, then bump the seasoning. If you want a truly thick dressing, you’ll need to use egg yolk as an emulsifier in my experience.

Carrots lined up for roasting

Chicken in a bag! Yum!

Chicken Breast - sure, sure, not my favorite either. But I have to admit, it’s a crowd pleaser. I sous-vided mine since it was the easiest batch cooking method, and for tossing in a salad, I left them in their gray boiled state and literally no one noticed (I’m sure).

1. Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and dried oregano.

2. Place 4 into a gallon Ziplock bag in one layer.

3. Drop into a water bath set to 160F, and use the water displacement method to push out excess air.

4. Seal the bag completely.

5. Cook for ~1 to 4 hours.

6. Cool completely.

Dress dress dress

Cool cool cool

Assembly

1. Completely cook in salted water:

   • 1 lb farfalle (bowtie pasta)

   • Taste to make sure the center part of the bowtie is cooked. Pasta should not be al dente, but cooked just until the entire noodle is cooked through.

2. Immediately transfer to a bowl, and toss with a few tablespoons of lemon vinaigrette.

3. Spread onto a baking tray in an even layer and cool completely.

4. Transfer to a bowl, and toss mixture in another round of vinaigrette.

   • I like to do two rounds of dressing instead of just the first one so the dress absorbs more evenly.

5. Add the mix-ins (to taste) on top of the bowl, along with another glug of vinaigrette - this should use almost all of the vin.

   • cubed chicken breast

   • crumble feta

   • arugula

   • cherry tomatoes, halved

   • chopped parsley

6. Gently toss together, add more salt or toppings to taste.

7. Pack and/or serve! This keeps really well overnight.

This combination is really perfect in its simplicity. The bite of the arugula, the sharpness of the feta, and the brightness of freshly squeeze lemon juice in the vinaigrette really pops in the dish. Once in a while, you get a pop of juicy sweet tomato for what my chef used to call a “transient” eating experience.

I wouldn’t change a thing, except for maybe the chicken - it’s nice to have, but probably the most irrelevant part!