{ RECIPE :: Balsamic Chicken, Spinach & Tomato Pasta Salad }

I love pretty food.  But I especially love pretty food that's also delicious!  And this right here is one of those dishes!  I absolutely loved the flavor of the balsamic marinated chicken (who doesn't love balsamic!) and the cheese tortellini was a fun twist to the traditional pasta dishes with sprinkled cheese.  The husband and I loved this meal and plan on finishing it off for dinner tomorrow night too!

INGREDIENTS:
1 (20-ounce) package cheese tortellini
1 pound skinned and boned chicken breasts
1 ½ cup Newman’s Own Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing, divided
1 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 cups firmly packed fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 ½ cups fresh cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, diced

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Place chicken in a zip-lock bag and pour 1 cup of balsamic vinaigrette in bag with chicken. Marinate for at least 2 hour, but best if marinated overnight. Take chicken out of zip-lock bag and discard marinade.
2. In a grill pan, grill chicken breasts, about 5 to 6 minutes on each side until cooked through. Place yellow bell pepper slices in grill pan and grill about 2 minutes on each side. Once cooled, dice chicken up in small bites.
3. Whisk together remaining ½ cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing and mustard in a small bowl.
4. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Transfer pasta to a large bowl and drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Let cool 10 min.
5. Toss together pasta, chicken, balsamic mixture, spinach, and remaining 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Serve immediately, or, if desired, cover and chill 1 hour before serving

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Servings: 6