Warm Mediterranean Pasta Salad with Grilled Vegetables, Crumbled Feta Cheese, Kalamata Olives and Grilled Chicken, Tossed in a Creamy, Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette

(from castro15’s recipe box)

Categories: Salad

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces Torchiette pasta, or any “twisty” style of pasta, uncooked
  • 2 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless, butterflied in half to create 4 thinned cutlets
  • • Salt
  • • Black pepper
  • • Olive oil
  • 2 small zucchini, quartered and cut into 1/4”- 1/2” thick pieces
  • 2 small yellow squash, quartered and cut into 1/4” – 1/2” thick pieces
  • 1/2 small eggplant, quartered and cut into 1/4” – 1/2” thick pieces
  • 1 cup small cherry tomatoes, halved
  • • Creamy, Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette (recipe below)
  • 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
  • 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
  • 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped, for garnish
  • 1 cup plain, non-fat Greek yogurt
  • 3/4 ounces fresh dill (about 1 small package), roughly chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon zest
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup water plus 2 tablespoons
  • 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 cup olive oil

Directions

  1. -Prepare the pasta according to package instructions; drain well and lightly oil, then turn out into a large bowl and cover with a kitchen towel to keep warm.

  2. -Prepare the chicken cutlets by sprinkling them with a few pinches of salt and pepper; place a large grill pan over medium-high heat and add about 1-2 tablespoons of the olive oil in, and once the oil is hot, add the chicken and grill for roughly 2-3 minutes per side, or until the chicken in golden and cooked through; set the chicken aside on a plate, and once cool enough to handle, slice into very thin strips; set aside, keeping it warm.

  3. -To grill the veggies, place the same grill pan onto medium-high heat, and add in about 2 tablespoons of the olive oil; once the oil is hot, add in about half of the zucchini and squash, and do not move it in order to allow it to brown/caramelize and grill for about 3 minutes; sprinkle with some salt and pepper; then, toss them over and allow them to grill/caramelize on the other side, as well; turn them out onto a plate or bowl and keep warm, and repeat the process with the remainder of the zucchini/squash.

  4. -Next, add another 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil to the grill pan, and add the eggplant into the pan along with a couple of pinches of salt and pepper; allow the eggplant to caramelize and grill, like the zucchini/squash did, for a few moments on each side, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking; once golden brown and soft, turn out into the same bowl/plate as the zucchini/squash, keeping it warm.

  5. -Grill the tomatoes in the grill pan last, with a touch more oil if necessary, and a pinch of salt and pepper, for about 1-2 minutes, just to warm them through and lightly char/blister their skins; add them to the other veggies to hold.

  6. -To finish the pasta, drizzle in as much of the Creamy, Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette as you’d like over the warm pasta, and gently toss to combine; add in the grilled chicken slices and the grilled veggies, and once again, gently toss to combine; add more Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette if needed, and check to see if any additional salt/pepper if needed, as well.

  7. -Serve portions of the pasta in bowls, and garnish with a few of the halved Kalamata olives, and a sprinkle of some of the crumbled feta cheese and fresh dill.

  8. Dressing:

  9. -Place all of the ingredients through the black pepper into the bowl of a food processor, and process until smooth; next, with the processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil, and process until well incorporated and smooth/creamy. Use immediately, or store in a container in the fridge until ready to use; left-overs of this sauce are delicious as dressing/sauce/dip for salads, veggies, etc., as well.

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