Weight Loss Surgery Cookbook

148 Part II: Now You’re Cooking! Healthy and Hearty Dishes

Chicken Pasta Salad

with Basil Vinaigrette

This great salad is packed with veggies and chicken and finished with just enough

pasta. Adding fresh basil and olive oil knocks it out of the park. This salad makes a great

picnic dish; just remember to keep it cold!

Stage: Regular foods

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Chilling time: 2 hours

Yield: 4 servings (^3 ⁄ 4 cup each)

1 ounce whole-wheat rotini or penne pasta

1 cup cooked chicken, cut into small cubes

(^1) ⁄ 4 cup chopped red bell pepper
(^1) ⁄ 4 cup thin sliced red onion
2 tablespoons sliced black olives
(^1) ⁄ 4 cup chopped tomatoes
(^1) ⁄ 4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, cut
into small cubes
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
(^1) ⁄ 2 teaspoon salt
(^1) ⁄ 2 teaspoon pepper
1 Cook pasta until it’s soft all the way through (not al dente). Drain and rinse with cold
water.
2 In a medium bowl combine all ingredients and mix well. Chill for 2 hours and serve cold.
Tip: Instead of taking time to cook chicken at home, buy cooked rotisserie chicken from the
deli. You can also use canned chicken in this recipe if needed.
Per serving: Calories 230 (From Fat 130); Fat 15g (Saturated 4g); Cholesterol 35mg; Sodium 280mg; Carbohydrate
8g (Dietary Fiber 1g); Protein 16g; Sugar 1g.