Simple Pasta Salad

Is anybody else ready for sunshine, fresh fruits and veggies, and eating and cooking outside?  I kicked off this past warm-weather week by making my favorite pasta salad.  Not only is this a quick weeknight meal, it packs up well for meals on-the-go.  Early weekdays don't look so bad when you have a few lunches of this colorful and delicious pasta salad ready for the week ahead!  And it's a meal all in one- no side dishes needed.

I made this pasta salad with my sister this past Tuesday.  I packed up Reed, Oliver, and the ingredients and hauled everything over to her place, just a few miles away.  We cooked while Matt and Reed played in the yard with Oliver and Jessie's husband, Brandon.  Tired and hungry, everybody enjoyed huge second helpings and we barely had some left over for packing lunches!  The best laid plans...

Start off with four chicken breasts.  I made the chicken the night before to save some time.  I seasoned four chicken breasts with salt and pepper and baked them at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until the meat thermometer read 165 degrees.  Keep the chicken in the refrigerator until you add it to the pasta salad.

Boil your pasta first.  You want to do this at the beginning so the pasta is close to room temperature when you are ready to eat.  Additionally, if it is too hot, it may wilt or cook some of your veggies.  I like to use about a half of a box of penne and a half of a box of farfalle, or bow-tie pasta.  I think any bite-sized pasta would work well.

Drain the pasta and add a few tablespoons of olive oil.  The olive oil will keep the pasta from sticking.  Stir the pasta until all of the noodles have some olive oil on them.

It's time for the veggies!  This is my favorite part of the pasta salad.  I feel like I add more vegetables every time I make it!  I used all of my favorites like broccoli, cauliflower, red onion, red bell pepper, and carrots.  Feel free to add or takeaway whatever vegetables you enjoy.  I love using all different colors and textures of vegetables.

Yes, Reed is stuffing his face with pasta salad.  And he has broccoli stuck to his chin.  Don't worry about those veggies too much; this pasta salad is kid-approved!  Reed loved the colors and getting to add his own toppings (more on that later).  Plus, cold pasta is so refreshing on a hot afternoon!

Next, cut up the chicken and the veggies.  I like to keep everything around the same size, with the exception of the red onion, which I dice pretty well.  Everything else is in small, bite-sized pieces.

Layer your veggies on top of the pasta.  You will need a gigantic bowl, and you may also want to add a bit more olive oil if the pasta begins to stick.

Now it's time to stir it up!  Sometimes the veggies will go to the bottom of the bowl, so be sure to mix everything well.

Serve it up!  Doesn't this look beautiful?

Of course we ate outside!  I grabbed some parmesan cheese and ranch dressing, and we sat out on the deck and watched the neighbors' chickens, the cars driving down the street, and Reed stuff his face.  
I like to put a little of both parmesan and ranch on my pasta salad, and Reed did, too.  Don't add parmesan and ranch to the entire bowl before serving, though.  It is best to let everyone make their own. 

Food AND outside?!  Oliver is in heaven!  He might look all cute and cuddly, but don't look too deeply into those puppy-dog eyes.  He's a master manipulator when it comes to begging for food.

Delicious!  I know you will enjoy this recipe.  Let me know if you try it out!
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Simple Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
- 1/2 box penne
-1/2 box farfalle
-3 T olive oil
-4 chicken breasts
- 1/4 red onion
-1 sweet red pepper
- 1 cup broccoli florets, chopped
-1 cup cauliflower, chopped
-1/2 cup shredded carrot
-Parmesan cheese
-Ranch dressing

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until meat thermometer reads 165 degrees.
Boil pasta until al dente.  Drain and coat with olive oil.  Set aside to cool.
Chop all vegetables into bite-sized pieces and dice the red onion.  Chop chicken into bite-sized pieces.  Add chicken and vegetables to pasta and mix well.  Add more olive oil if needed.
Serve with parmesan cheese and ranch dressing.