- Creamy Buttermilk Dressing:
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- Pasta Salad:
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 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
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted in a small skillet over low heat until golden
- 1/4 cup pesto (homemade or refrigerated prepared variety)
- Mix dressing ingredients in a small bowl; keep chilled until ready to toss with salad. (Store in clean jar with lid.)
- 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.
- 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.