Tangy Pasta Salad
2 medium sized chicken breasts
16 oz (dry) elbow macaroni
1/2 cup pine nuts
6 oz can black olives
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
6 oz crumbled feta cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
16 oz bottle french dressing
4 oz tube fresh basil puree
Optional mix-ins: zucchini, cucumber, roasted red peppers, bell peppers
Preheat the oven to 375. Roast the chicken until fully cooked, 20 to 30 minutes. Cook the macaroni according to the package directions. Toast the pine nuts in a small dry saute pan over low heat until toasted. Set the chicken, the pasta, and the pine nuts aside to cool once they are cooked (if you add a drizzle of olive oil to the pasta it will help keep the macaroni from getting sticky). Slice the olives and tomatoes into thin slices. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, finely chop the chicken. Combine the pasta, chicken, pine nuts, olives, sun dried tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and feta cheese in a large bowl. Add the salt and pepper. Add about three quarters of the bottle of french dressing. You want just enough to coat all the ingredients. Add half the basil. Mix well. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for at least two hours. Before serving, add the remaining french dressing and basil. If needed, add more salt and pepper to taste.