Sicilian Pasta Salad Piccata
Submitted by crystal888
Cold pasta salad with wine-poached chicken, capers, lemon, and red peppers in a bright olive oil vinaigrette. A Sicilian-inspired piccata twist on classic pasta salad.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
35 minREADY
170 minTake everything you love about chicken piccata and turn it into a cold pasta salad that’s built for potlucks, picnics, and meal prep.
Chicken breasts poached in white wine stay tender and juicy, then get sliced into strips and tossed with elbow macaroni in a punchy dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, and garlic.
Briny capers, sweet red bell peppers, fresh parsley, and green onions bring color and crunch to every forkful.
This one actually tastes better after a few hours in the fridge, so make it ahead and let the flavors get acquainted.
Pro Tips
- Poach the chicken gently at a low simmer, never a rolling boil. High heat toughens the breast meat and squeezes out moisture.
- Rinse the pasta under cold water immediately after draining. This stops the cooking and washes off excess starch so the salad stays light, not gummy.
- Dress the pasta while it’s still slightly warm. It absorbs the vinaigrette better than cold pasta does, giving you more flavor in every bite.
- Add a tablespoon of drained capers right before serving for an extra pop of salt and texture on top.
Ingredients
Directions
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
Rinse with cold water to cool quickly; drain well.
In a small saucepan, place chicken breasts; cover with wine and water.
Simmer, uncovered, about 20 minutes or until done; discard liquid.
Set chicken aside to cool.
Cut chicken into strips.
In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, combine pasta, chicken and oil mixture.
Add red pepper, parsley, onion and capers; mix thoroughly.
Cover; refrigerate.
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