Southwestern Pasta Salad

• servings: 8 servings
• active time: 20
• total time: 50

Ingredients

1 pound of cooked, seasoned chicken breast (see note 1)

10-12 oz bag of frozen corn, preferably roasted (or cook it yourself!)

2 avocados, diced

2 red bell peppers, diced

1 red onion, diced

16 oz of pasta (Elbow/Macaroni or Cavatappi)

2 cups of plain greek yogurt (see note 2)

Juice and zest of 2 limes

Salt

Chipotle adobo to taste (optional)

Directions

1) Fill a medium sized pot with water and set over medium-high heat.

2) Salt the boiling water heavily before adding the pasta. Cook for 2-3 minutes longer than the package directions say to. This ensures it will still be soft and chewy once it cools.

3) Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and lay it out flat on a sheet pan. This helps ensure the pasta cools more evenly and will be less likely to stick to itself.

4) If you are going to finish making the dish immediately, proceed to the next step. Otherwise store in a covered container in the refrigerator for later.

5) While the pasta cools, heat up the corn according to package instructions.

6) While the corn cooks, start dicing up the avocado, red bell pepper, and red onion. Cut up the cooked chicken breast next into small, bite sized pieces. Add these ingredients to the largest mixing bowl you have (trust me, you will need it).

7) In a small bowl, mix the yogurt, lime juice, lime zest, and optional chipotle adobo together. (see note 3)

8) Add the cooled pasta to the diced ingredients, tossing to evenly distribute everything together. Add the dressing and mix again before serving.

Notes

1) Use whatever your go-to seasoning is for chicken tacos! I don't recommend substituting the chicken breasts with chicken thighs or any other kind of fatty cut of meat. The dish is meant to be eaten cold, and fattier pieces of meat can lead to a rather unappealing build up of cold fats within the pasta salad.

2) I typically use plain greek yogurt for this, but you can certainly go with something that has added flavor to it. I would recommend something like mango, pineapple, or coconut. Make sure it is blended and not one with the fruit at the bottom!

3) The amount of dressing may be too much or not enough depending on your preferences. Just adjust it accordingly.