Tonight I ventured back into balsamic territory.
With a recipe found at Blisstree.com for Balsamic Chicken Pasta Salad.
The picture alone had me drooling, so I sent it to a fellow foodie who made it & published her pictures on her blog, which made me crave it EVEN more! Lady gluten may hate you, but my stomach loves the encouragement!!! Seriously the asparagus addition, great call!
So here is my version of Balsamic Chicken Pasta Salad!
3 cups uncooked bowtie pasta
2 cups cooked, cubed chicken breast
1 10oz. container grape tomatoes, roasted lightly in oven under the broiler
handful of fresh brussel sprouts, sliced thin & roasted lightly
4 oz Gorgonzola cheese
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup minced fresh basil (or a handful as I call it!)
1/4 cup fresh spinach (again I like to just grab a bunch & rip it up a little)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tb brown sugar
1 tsp chopped garlic (I minced 4 cloves)
1/4 tsp garlic salt (dash to taste)
1/4 tsp pepper (dash to taste)
grated Parmesan cheese (tried a blend of asiago, parmesan and mozzarella)
Cook pasta, drain then rinse with cold water. In a large bowl, & I mean a big one!, combine the pasta, chicken, sprouts, tomatoes, and Gorgonzola cheese.
In a small saucepan, mix the oil, balsamic, brown sugar, basil, garlic, salt & pepper and warm over medium heat. Drizzle over the pasta mixture and toss. Top each serving with the Parmesan cheese to taste.
It is heaven in a bowl!!!
It is heaven in a bowl!!!