Rotini Salad with Marinated Chicken Breast
Posted by: Elaine Thu, 15 Apr 2004, at 5:10 a.m.

Everyone loves pasta salad, and this one is particularly tasty. Add more feta cheese and olives if you wish; this is a dish that will take it happily.

Serves 4

4 cups drained and cooled rotini
2 chicken breasts, barbecued
(Marinated overnight in 2 Tbsp olive oil, 2 cloves crushed garlic, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, 2 tsp oregano flakes, and ½ tsp dry mint)
½ cup finely chopped sweet red bell pepper
½ fine chopped sweet green bell pepper
½ cup finely chopped green onion
2 tsp dry basil
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Salt to taste
2 cloves crushed garlic
½ cup pitted sliced calamata olives
1/3 cup good mayonnaise
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Marinate chicken breasts overnight in olive oil, garlic, lemon, oregano and mint in a covered container. Barbecue over medium heat until tender and juices run clear. Remove from heat and cool in refrigerator.

In a large bowl, combine cooked rotini, chopped peppers, chopped green onion, and chopped olives. Add garlic, oregano, basil and black pepper. Add salt. Add mayonnaise, olive oil and lemon juice. Toss gently.

Arrange rotini salad in a decorative shallow salad dish and decorate the top with cooked chicken breasts, which have been cut into strips.

The dish makes a wonderful meal on its own with fresh Greek bread or toasted pita bread.