This fresh pasta salad with asparagus, chicken, and pecans is a delicious way to use fresh asparagus. It can be served hot or cold.
⏲️ Time needed
Asparagus Chicken Salad with Pecans only takes about 35 minutes on the stovetop.
🥘 Ingredients
- penne pasta
- olive oil
- minced garlic
- red bell pepper
- asparagus
- chicken broth
- fresh basil
- salt & pepper
- butter
- cooked chicken breast
- Parmesan cheese
- pecans
🍲 Adaptations for dietary restrictions
Vegetarian option
Substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth. You can either simply omit the chicken altogether, increasing the amount of asparagus and red pepper, or substitute a can of rinsed cannellini beans for the chicken.
📋 Instructions
Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.
While pasta is cooking, heat oil in a large pot over medium heat and sauté the garlic, red pepper, and asparagus.
Add the broth and bring to a boil; simmer until vegetables begin to soften.
Add the basil, salt, pepper, butter, and cooked chicken. Cook until chicken is heated through.
Add the pasta, Parmesan cheese, and pecans, mix thoroughly, and serve immediately.
💭 Tips
When choosing asparagus, always look for small stalks. Large asparagus stalks can be woody and will not have the same flavor as small tender stalks.
Prepare the asparagus by rinsing it under running water, then holding it with both hands and snapping off the tough end. Try to hold it so that the hand on the tip side is closer to the center of the stalk and the hand on the cut end is close to the end of the stalk. Bring your hands down and toward each other, and the stalk will snap just where it starts to get tough at the end.
To easily chop fresh basil, roll the leaves up tightly together and slice starting at one end of the roll and working your way across. For smaller pieces, continue by chopping crosswise.
📖 Recipe
Asparagus Chicken Salad with Pecans
Ingredients
- 16 oz. penne pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1" pieces
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
- salt, to taste
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 lb. chicken breast, cooked & cubed (from freezer)
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- ½ cup pecans, chopped
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.
- While pasta is cooking, heat oil in a large pot over medium heat and sauté the garlic, red pepper, and asparagus.
- Add the broth and bring to a boil; simmer until vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the basil, salt, pepper, butter, and cooked chicken. Cook until chicken is heated through.
- Add cooked, drained pasta, Parmesan cheese, and pecans. Mix thoroughly and serve immediately.
Notes
- Before chopping the asparagus, prepare it by rinsing it under running water, then holding it with both hands and snapping off the tough end. Hold the stalk so that the hand on the tip end is closer to the center of the stalk and the hand on the cut end is close to the end of the stalk. Bring your hands down and toward each other, and the stalk will snap just where it starts to get tough at the end.
- To easily chop fresh basil, roll the leaves up together and slice starting at one end of the roll and working your way across. For smaller pieces, continue by chopping crosswise.
- Vegetarian option Substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth. You can either simply omit the chicken altogether, increasing the amount of asparagus and red pepper, or substitute a can of rinsed cannellini beans for the chicken.
Nutrition per serving
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