Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad with Chicken, Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes

A tangy buttermilk dressing ties together this pasta salad studded with asparagus, chicken, artichokes, and cherry tomatoes!

• Calories: 547 Calories

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup sour cream
• ⅓ cup buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• ⅓ cup mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 pound bow tie (farfalle) pasta
• 8 ounces trimmed asparagus, cut into 1-inch lengths
• 1 pound cooked chicken breast strips, pulled into bite-size pieces
• 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved and lightly salted
• 1 (14 ounce) can whole artichoke hearts, drained, cut into sixths
• ½ cup pine nuts, toasted in a small skillet over low heat until golden
• ¼ cup pesto (homemade or refrigerated prepared variety)

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Mix dressing ingredients in a small bowl; keep chilled until ready to toss with salad. (Store in clean jar with lid.)

Step 2

Bring 1 gallon of water and 2 Tbs. of salt to boil in a large soup kettle. Add pasta and, using package times as a guide, boil, stirring frequently and adding asparagus the last 1 minute, until just tender. Drain thoroughly (do not rinse) and dump onto a large, lipped cookie sheet. Set aside to cool while preparing remaining salad ingredients.

Step 3

Place all salad ingredients (except buttermilk dressing) in a large bowl or transfer to a gallon-size zippered bag. (Can be covered and refrigerated several hours at this point.) When ready to serve, add dressing; toss to coat and serve.