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!

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.

Per Serving: 547 calories; protein 29.3g; carbohydrates 50.4g; fat 26.4g; cholesterol 60.5mg; sodium 2107.5mg.