Food Friday: Chicken Farfalle Salad

Happy Friday! This salad is actually one that is available in some supermarket delis. My parents loved it, but it was $5 or $6 per pound! (Which is not very much salad in case you're wondering.) So my Dad picked it apart one day and came up with an awesome version of his own that meets rave reviews anywhere it's taken. I learned this recipe mostly from watching my dad make it, and making it with direction, so I've done my best to translate that for you. If you read about my Dr. Seuss baby shower, the name might sound familiar because we served it there too.

Chicken Farfalle Salad
3-4 chicken breasts
1 16 oz box farfalle pasta (bow-tie pasta)
3/4 bag of pre-washed baby spinach
1 16 oz bottle Caesar dressing
1 wedge Parmesan cheese grated, or a small tub of freshly grated (NOT the green can powdered kind)

Heat some olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and season as desired. I usually use a sprinkling of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a little paprika. (Use salt and pepper at the very least.) Cook chicken 5-10 minutes until light golden brown, and flip it to the other side. Season this side and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes until light golden brown, ensuring the chicken has cook thoroughly. Once chicken is cooked through, transfer to a cutting board and allow to cool slightly. Once cooled, cut into bite sized pieces.

While the chicken is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt your water and add the pasta. Cook according to package directions. Drain the pasta and transfer to a large bowl. At this point you can add a little olive oil and toss to prevent sticking, but I usually do not. Place the chicken in the bowl with the pasta and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the pasta and chicken until the pasta has cooled, about half an hour.

Once the pasta and chicken have been refrigerated for at least a half hour, you can finish mixing the salad. Remove the plastic wrap and add the baby spinach and about 3/4 of the bottle of dressing. Stir to combine. Add additional dressing as needed, and more spinach if desired. Add the grated cheese and stir until well mixed. Transfer it back to the fridge for an additional half hour or until ready to serve. Enjoy!


I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! We're finally enjoying the sun a little bit here after some snow earlier this week. I'm hoping it's here to stay. Thanks for stopping by! Happy cooking. :)

Linking to:
Tatertots and Jello ♡ Family Ever After ♡ Mommy By Day, Crafter By Night ♡ Lil' Luna ♡ Sumo's Sweet Stuff ♡ Somewhat Simple ♡ WhipperBerry