Italian Chicken Pasta Salad

By srumbel

Even with snow on the ground, I am craving those light and fresh meals that are perfect for summer. I have made this one a couple of times for my family- it's like a Mediterranean spin on your regular pasta salad- and it has become one of their favorites.I have a feeling that we will be eating this salad a lot this summer!
from sixsistersstuff.com

Ingredients

• 2 cups penne pasta, cooked (whole wheat pasta works great in this recipe)
• 1 (4 oz) package feta cheese (or cubed mozzarella cheese)
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes (I cut mine in half, but that is completely optional)
• Handful of fresh basil leaves, shredded into small pieces
• 1/2 cup red onion, diced
• 2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced (rotisserie chicken is perfect for this)
• 1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts, chopped
• 1 (2.25 oz) can sliced black olives
• 1 medium cucumber, diced
• 1 1/2 cups Italian dressing (my favorite is Wishbone Robusto Italian- not sponsored, just my honest opinion)

Preparation

Step 1

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together. Chill for about 2 hours before serving (to allow dressing to soak into other ingredients).

Makes 6-8 servings.