Slow Roasted Tomato and Chicken Pasta Salad

Summer Picnic Series:

I mentioned earlier this week that pasta, specifically homemade pasta, is my favorite comfort food. We enjoy our pasta served as a hot dish most of the time. But a flavorful cold pasta salad is a spring and summertime must.

Pasta salad is a beautiful thing. There are any number of combinations of ingredients that can make a great pasta salad. It can be made ahead of time (and even should be made ahead of time to give the flavors more time to meld). It is a great picnic and cookout dish because it does not have to be kept hot and can be easily transported to your picnic field of choice. And leftover pasta salad keeps well in the refrigerator.

This particular combination of ingredients originated from a need to turn a few humble ingredients into something to share with friends at church. You can often find me on Sunday afternoons brainstorming ideas of what I can make with what I have on hand because every other Sunday evening is fellowship night at our church.  Spent from his Sunday sermon, my husband naps on the couch. The kids are snoozing in their rooms. And I am soaking in the afternoon sun and quiet peacefulness of my kitchen.

The star of this show is definitely the slow roasted cherry tomatoes. Many thanks to Aimee of Simple Bites to opening my eyes to the amazingness of slow roasted tomatoes. They are sweet as candy and bursting with flavor. Slow roasting the tomatoes does require a bit of foresight– they need at least 2 hours– but the end result is worth it. Plus, it is an incredibly simple process requiring only five minutes of preparation after which you can forget about the tomatoes in the oven for a couple of hours. No stirring or babysitting required.

In addition to the tomatoes, this pasta salad has chicken, feta, spinach and bacon. Keeping a roast chicken in the refrigerator is always a good idea, and spinach and feta are staples in my kitchen (thank you Costco!). The bacon can be left out if you don’t have any on hand or if you don’t like to eat it. I like the salty depth that it adds to the salad.

Once the tomatoes are ready, this salad comes together very quickly. Mix all your ingredients, make the dressing, and stir well. If you have any dressing left over, keep it for a delicious Greek-style salad dressing.

Slow Roasted Tomato and Chicken Pasta Salad

Ingredient List

• 1 lb cherry tomatoes
• olive oil
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 pound bowtie pasta, (about 6-8 cups cooked)
• 1 C crumbled feta cheese
• 1 C chopped fresh spinach
• 2 sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 C shredded roasted chicken

• 1/4 C olive oil
• 1/4 C red wine vinegar
• (heaping) 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• (heaping) 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• (heaping) 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp dijon-mustard
• 1/4 kosher salt

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 300°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Halve the cherry tomatoes and place on prepared baking sheet, cut sides up. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the tomatoes in preheated oven for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Remove and cool.

3. Cook the pasta. Set aside to cool.

4. Assemble the pasta salad: Mix together cooled pasta, cooled tomatoes, feta cheese, spinach, bacon and chicken.

5. Make the dressing by mixing all the ingredients (olive oil, vinegar and spices) in a jar. Shake well to mix. Pour dressing on top of the pasta mixture and toss well, making sure the dressing is evenly distributed.

5. Serve cool. Refrigerate leftovers (if you have any).