Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad
Hello my friends, and happy -almost- summer!
Last week I finally got my garden planted after a wonderful trip we took with family to the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas! The weather was so beautiful there and has continued to give us so much sunshine here in Minnesota. I am excited for this year's vegetable harvest because I planted two new plants to try and grow— Swiss chard and leeks! I fell in love with Swiss chard a couple years ago when I was getting a CSA (community supported agriculture) box from a local farmer. It’s a tasty green leafy vegetable and is delicious sauteed or stir-fried. It is similar to kale or spinach but more sturdy and can be harvested throughout the summer.
Anyways, enough talk about chard. I’m here today to share with you a perfect summer pasta salad that I cannot stop making. It is very simple and packed with protein—just what we need with our busy schedule!
First things first, boil your pasta. I used Banza, a chickpea pasta that has 14 grams of protein per 2 ounce serving. Yes, while this does has a different texture than a traditional pasta with wheat, I love that it gives me extra protein and is still just as tasty. One trick when using this pasta or any pasta for pasta salad- do not under cook it. After the pasta is boiled you cool it off in cold water, and al dente pasta is just terrible in pasta salad ( I learned the hard way). Make sure it is cooked all the way through!!
After you boil your pasta, it’s just a matter of making the dressing, chopping vegetables, and mixing it all together.
Ingredients:
8 oz pasta of choice
3 stalks celery
2 green onions
2 carrots
shredded chicken
shredded cheese
lettuce
For the dressing:
1 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup buffalo sauce (I used Primal Kitchen from Costco and it’s delicious)
garlic powder
onion powder
fresh or dried dill
fresh or dried parsley
salt & pepper
Simple as that! Pasta salad is just the perfect meal prep item for lunches on the go, at work, or to bring to a potluck. The beautiful thing about them is that they are so forgiving, so you can make them with whatever you have on hand and they always turn out great. I love the idea of using Greek yogurt as a dressing base instead of mayo to give it more creaminess and protein! I want to try a potato or egg salad using Greek yogurt! Has anyone tried this!? Let me know!
