Chicken and Pepper Pasta Salad
Colourful and healthy this chicken and pepper pasta salad is a superfood feast. Red pepper, watercress and juicy mango are packed with vitamins and antioxidants to keep you fit and energized. Chicken adds some protein and pasta provides carbohydrate to fill you up so it really is a meal in a bowl. Finish with a sprinkle of seeds and nuts for a satisfying crunch. If you have any leftover cooked chicken from a roast use it in this salad instead of cooking fresh – it will perk it up no end. The same with any leftover cooked pasta (any shape will do), tossed into this salad it will be transformed.
Chicken and Pepper Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 200 g spaghetti or pasta shapes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 chicken breast fillets sliced
- 1 red pepper deseeded and sliced
- 1 red chilli deseeded and chopped
- 4 spring onions sliced
- 1 small ripe mango peeled, stoned and cut into chunks
- 75 g watercress
- Small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 1 tbsp suflower seeds
- 1 tbsp pumkin seeds
- 25 g hazelnuts chopped
Dressing
- 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Cook the spaghetti or pasta shapes in a large pan of boiling salted water for 10 mins, until just tender.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the chicken, pepper and chilli and stir-fry over a high heat for 5 mins until the chicken is cooked and the pepper has softened. Set aside to cool.
- Drain the spaghetti or pasta, rinse under cold water and drain again. Place in a salad bowl with the chicken, pepper and chilli. Add the spring onions, mango, watercress and parsley and toss to mix.
- Place dressing ingredients in a screw top jar with a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper. Shake well to mix and pour over the salad. Sprinkle over the pumpkin and sunflower seeds and hazelnuts.
Notes
Egg noodles can be used instead of spaghetti or pasta shapes. Just cook them for 3-4 mins in boiling salted water until just tender then cool under cold running water and drain.
