I was so excited that this Pasta Florentine recipe of Aunt Becky's was included in the cookbook because I've eaten it a few times and just love it! It's a wonderful salad for large get togethers because it makes such a large portion. When I made it, I halved the recipe and it still made a huge batch. I love the combination of spinach, chicken, and pasta. The cherry tomatoes, red bell peppers and onions add a lovely pop of flavor in every bite. I am not sure what was wrong with me when I went shopping, but I bought penne pasta instead of bow tie like the recipe calls for. Of course the flavor was still the same, but next time I make it, I will be sure to use the correct pasta!
Pasta Florentine
Special thanks and lots of love to Aunt Becky
Ingredients
6 chicken breasts (3 lbs) cooked and cubed
24 ounces of bow tie pasta, cooked
1 pound fresh spinach, torn into pieces
1 pound fresh spinach, torn into pieces
2 large red bell peppers, chopped
1 cup red onion, thinly sliced
1 small bunch of fresh herbs (tarragon, basil, and parsley)
cherry tomatoes
2 cups mayonnaise
2/3 cups olive oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup Asiago or Parmesan cheese
Directions
Combine chicken, pasta, peppers, onion, spinach and herbs in a large bowl. In a small bowl whip together mayo, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Pour dressing over the chicken/pasta ingredients. Top with cheese and cherry tomatoes.
Note: this recipe serves 8 - 12 and can be made ahead. You can also substitute shrimp for chicken.
I also wanted to note that for Christmas my hubby gave me an Aerogarden and I use it all the time. The one I have came with Basil, Thyme, and Chives but there are several other options. I love that I now have fresh herbs in my own kitchen. For this Pasta Florentine recipe I didn't have to buy any basil because I have some growing on my kitchen counter. Just wanted to give this a plug because it's a great little herb garden for those of us who live where we don't have a yard to plant our own, or for those of us who live in climates where we can't have fresh herbs year round. :)
This looks delicious! Hope to try it soon. Also the Aerogarden is a great idea, I should look into getting one for our house. I love fresh herbs, but we live in a townhouse where I can't plant my own garden in our yard.
ReplyDelete