Party Chicken and Pasta Salad

By kimvess

Ingredients

• 5 cups uncooked rotini pasta (16 oz)
• 4 cups cubed cooked chicken
• 1 cup thinly sliced celery
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 12 oz fresh snow pea pods, trimmed, halved crosswise
• 2 cups seedless red and/or green grapes, halved
• 1 can (8 oz) pineapple tidbits in unsweetened juice, drained, reserving liquid
• 1 cup slivered almonds, toasted if desired
• 6 to 8 leaves leaf lettuce
• Dressing
• 1 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh gingerroot
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 2 tablespoons reserved pineapple liquid
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey

Preparation

Step 1

1
Cook pasta as directed on package. Drain; rinse with cold water to cool. Drain well.

2
Meanwhile, in large bowl, mix remaining salad ingredients except almonds and lettuce. In small bowl, mix dressing ingredients.

3
Add pasta and 1/2 cup of the almonds to salad; stir gently to mix. Add dressing; toss to coat. Line serving bowl or platter with lettuce. Spoon salad over lettuce. Sprinkle with remaining almonds.


Tips

Deli chicken or rotisserie chicken are easy ways to get cooked chicken for this salad.

Cook almonds over medium heat, 5 to 7 minutes, until golden brown. Stir the almonds frequently so they don’t burn. Remove them from the skillet when they’re done to prevent further cooking.