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Mediterranean chicken pasta salad with lemon-dill dressing
When you think of pasta salad with a creamy dressing you typically recall the bland versions we’ve all had at potluck-style hangs – you know the ones... Best intentions aside, mayonnaise as a dressing on its own is rather boring, and I think it’s just as easy to up the flavour ante and create something way more delicious and memorable, something friends will ask you to bring to every cookout going forward. Why’s this pasta salad so special, you ask? Because it tastes like so much more than basic mayonnaise slathered onto cold noodles and bland chicken. The dressing for this pasta salad is creamy, tangy, and loaded with herb-y goodness. The chicken thighs are also marinated overnight in Mediterranean spices before being grilled, chopped, and added to the dish. Then there’s the freshness of the Persian cucumbers and grape tomatoes, and the brightness of the quick-pickled shallots… This is not your average pasta salad! You’re welcome.
SERVES
TO
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon hot paprika (or 1/8 teaspoon cayenne)
- 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
- 6 chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon spice mix (above), plus more as needed to coat
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 lemon, juice freshly squeezed
- 3 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 3/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 3 cups fusilli (“fusilli bucati corti”, if possible)
- 3 Persian cucumbers, sliced
- 1 pint multicoloured grape tomatoes, halved
- Feta cheese, crumbled, to garnish
Directions
- Combine the salt, onion powder, cumin, turmeric, hot paprika and allspice in a small bowl.
- Marinate chicken thighs by placing into a resealable bag or dish, adding two to three teaspoons of the spice mix (enough to season all the thighs) and massaging to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight for biggest flavour, or at least one hour.
- Heat the vinegar, salt, and sugar in a small saucepan until simmering and dissolved. Off heat, add sliced shallots and set aside to pickle. Once cooled to room temp, cover and refrigerate until you need them.
- Grill chicken by preheating a BBQ to medium heat and cooking about five minutes per side until cooked through (165°F internal temp at thickest part). Cool to room temp and then chop chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Stir together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, dill, parsley, and sea salt in a large mixing bowl. Set aside. Sidebar: if prepping this in advance, store refrigerated in an airtight container up to two days.
- Boil a large pot of water and cook pasta according to package directions for al dente. Drain pasta in a colander and briefly rinse with cold water to cool down a bit.
- Add cooled and drained pasta to mayonnaise bowl, toss to coat. Add chopped cucumbers, grape tomatoes, cooled chicken, and pickled shallots, toss to coat. Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with feta, and serve cold or at room temp.
- Note: For this recipe, while you’ll only be needing one pickled shallot, I find they’re a great flavour-enhancer for a lot of different dishes. So, save the second pickled shallot in the fridge covered in the pickling liquid and use it whenever you crave.
- Note: If you’re making this dish as something to keep handy in your fridge for a couple days (which is a great idea), rather than fully assembling, prep the components and store them separately. Then, toss ingredients together with dressing when you’re ready to eat.
