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grilled chicken and tortellini salad

(2 ratings)
irishpeggy avatar
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
Peggy O'Brien
@irishpeggy
Avon Lake, OH

This is a great chicken pasta meal. It can also be prepared without the chicken, and other vegetables - artichoke hearts are popular with this dish.

Blue Ribbon Recipe

The ingredients in this recipe combine to make one fabulous summer dish. With the grilled chicken and tortellini, it's hearty enough to be a light summer dinner. The frozen tortellini adds just enough cheese to the salad. Sun-dried tomatoes and Italian dressing give the salad a ton of flavor. It's a universal meal everyone will love. Leftovers make a great lunch.

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
(2 ratings)
yield 4 -6
prep time 30 Min
cook time 20 Min
method Stove Top

Ingredients For grilled chicken and tortellini salad

  • 1/2 pkg
    herbed grilling marinade (powder form), 1 oz package
  • 1 Tbsp
    olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp
    balsamic vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp
    water
  • 1 pkg
    mixed cheese tortellini (refrigerated type), 20 oz.
  • 1 jar
    pesto basil sauce (8 oz)
  • 4-6 oz
    sun-dried tomatoes, julienned
  • 1 lb
    boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approx. 3)
  • 4-6 oz
    zesty Italian salad dressing
  • 1 c
    shaved or shredded Parmesan chees
  • 1 c
    toasted pine nuts
  • 3
    fresh basil leaves
  • salt and pepper, to taste

How To Make grilled chicken and tortellini salad

  • Marinating the chicken.
    1
    Marinade chicken in herb mix in a Ziploc bag. Add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and water. Marinate for at least 1 hour.
  • Grilling the chicken until cooked.
    2
    Grill chicken, turning every 2 minutes for a total of 12 minutes.
  • Adding oil to the boiling water for the tortellini.
    3
    Boil tortellini pasta per instructions, add a small amount of olive oil to water and boil approx 7 minutes - drain well.
  • Adding oil to the cooked tortellini.
    4
    Toss a small amount of olive oil in pasta to prevent sticking.
  • Cutting sun-dried tomato into smaller pieces.
    5
    Cut julienned strips of sun-dried tomatoes into smaller pieces.
  • Toasting pine nuts.
    6
    Toast the pine nuts. Place pine nuts in a pan in a single layer over medium heat. Constantly stir until fragrant and golden brown (about 7-8 minutes). Quickly transfer to a plate so they don't burn.
  • Pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, and toasted pine nuts added to tortellini.
    7
    Add pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, and toasted pine nuts to the tortellini.
  • Adding Italian dressing.
    8
    And add zesty Italian salad dressing.
  • Adding shredded Parmesan cheese.
    9
    Add shaved Parmesan cheese.
  • Stirring everything together.
    10
    You can also season salt and pepper to taste. Stir together.
  • Chicken sliced into bite-size pieces.
    11
    Cut grilled chicken into bite-size strips.
  • Adding chicken to the salad.
    12
    Add grilled chicken to the pasta salad prior to serving.
  • Rolling basil leaves.
    13
    Cut basil leaves into ribbons. First, roll the basil.
  • Cutting basil into ribbons.
    14
    Then cut into ribbons. Basil is for garnish and adds additional flavor.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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