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Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad with Chicken, Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes

By: USA WEEKEND columnist Pam Anderson  
"A tangy buttermilk dressing ties together this pasta salad studded with asparagus, chicken, artichokes, and cherry tomatoes!"

Rating: This weblink has been rated 39 times with an average star rating of 4.6 Read Reviews (36)

Rate/Review | 1,869 people have saved this

 

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Original Recipe Yield 8 servings
 

Ingredients

  • Creamy Buttermilk Dressing:
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/3 cup sour cream
  • 1/3 cup buttermilk
  • 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  •  
  • Pasta Salad:
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • 1 pound bow tie (farfalle) pasta
  • 8 ounces trimmed asparagus, cut into 1-inch lengths
  • 1 pound cooked chicken breast strips, pulled into bite-size pieces
  • 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved and lightly salted
  • 1 (14 ounce) can whole artichoke hearts, drained, cut into sixths
  • 3 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted in a small skillet over low heat until golden
  • 1/4 cup pesto (homemade or refrigerated prepared variety)

Directions

  1. Mix dressing ingredients in a small bowl; keep chilled until ready to toss with salad. (Store in clean jar with lid.)
  2. Bring 1 gallon of water and 2 Tbs. of salt to boil in a large soup kettle. Add pasta and, using package times as a guide, boil, stirring frequently and adding asparagus the last 1 minute, until just tender. Drain thoroughly (do not rinse) and dump onto a large, lipped cookie sheet. Set aside to cool while preparing remaining salad ingredients.
  3. Place all salad ingredients (except buttermilk dressing) in a large bowl or transfer to a gallon-size zippered bag. (Can be covered and refrigerated several hours at this point.) When ready to serve, add dressing; toss to coat and serve.

Footnotes

Nutritional Information open nutritional information

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 547 | Total Fat: 26.4g | Cholesterol: 61mg

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The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on Jul. 17, 2006 by NoCarnations 
I was surprised by the overpowering smell of the vinegar in the sauce. I put the sauce on and... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on Aug. 9, 2006 by Donna E. 
This is my new favorite pasta salad. I even left out the chicken because I was serving to a... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on Jun. 22, 2008 by Joyce 
This is a fabulous salad! I made this for a girls weekend. I kept the pasta seperate from... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 4 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on Jul. 3, 2006 by Kathyf 
I found the need to add more dressing and pesto after it had had time to marinate. I would... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on Aug. 4, 2008 by Amanda F. 
This is my new favorite pasta salad. As others sugguested I left out the chicken and used a... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on Jun. 11, 2009 by susan 
Really yummy flavors. I did roast the asparagus instead of boiling. Keeping the dressing... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on May 27, 2009 by KELLYALBRECHT 
So GOOD!! I followed the ingredients list exactly, left nothing out. I stir fried the... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on Jun. 30, 2008 by BrandonH 
this recipe was amazing!! Ive had 10 requests for the recipe and I only made it once! MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 4 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on Jul. 15, 2007 by KaraAnn 
I too took this to a baby shower, and the guests really enjoyed it and asked me where I got... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 4 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on Jul. 21, 2009 by KristieB 
Wonderful pasta salad! I made a batch and a half of dressing. I mixed the full recipe of... MORE

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