Shellie’s Pasta Salad

This dish has been in my rotation for a long time. When my kids were in high school it was one of their favorite pregame meals. We like it hot, and we like it cold. Heck, we just like it!

Ingredients

One rotisserie chicken, deboned into bite-size pieces
24-32 ounces tri-color rotini pasta (or substitute your favorite pasta)
1 carton chicken broth
1 can sliced black olives
Baby tomatoes
1 pkg Italian seasoning mix
Mushrooms (If fresh, sauté first. Canned? You’re good!)
Italian dressing to taste
Parmesan cheese
Toasted almonds
Sliced red onion (optional)
Chopped green onion (optional)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook your pasta according to package directions, replacing water with chicken broth for extra flavor. Drain. Add the other ingredients (I serve the red and green onions on the side for my pickier people) and mix well. Top with toasted almonds. How much parmesan is a decision for you! We’re cheese lovers here, so I mix cheese in, and then we feel the need to top it with more cheese before we eat. Fun fact: there’s really no rules when it comes to pasta salad. Slice up fresh peppers if you have them on hand. Use mozzarella or feta cheese if you prefer it to parmesan. Substitute a vinaigrette for the Italian dressing if that’s your preference. You get the idea. Enjoy!

Hugs, Shellie