Hearty Chicken Pasta Salad

Recipe from Mary Lee O-Brien

16 June 2026: Pool Party chicken pasta salad recipe - a family recipe that's been passed down through several generations from my Aunt ChatGPT. Mary Lee.

(Serves 8–10)

For the salad

1 pound rotini or bow-tie pasta
3 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded (rotisserie chicken works great)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cucumber, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
½ red onion, finely chopped
1 cup mozzarella pearls or cubed mozzarella
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

For the dressing

¾ cup Italian dressing
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water until cool.
In a large bowl, combine the pasta, chicken, tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, onion, mozzarella, and Parmesan.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the Italian dressing, mayonnaise, mustard, and Italian seasoning.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
If the pasta absorbs some dressing while chilling, stir in a little extra Italian dressing just before serving.

Make-Ahead Tips

Can be made the day before.
Transport in a cooler with ice packs.
Garnish with fresh parsley or basil just before serving. 

Herb Lemon White Bean Salad

Recipe from Monica Pileggi

I made this salad for the Ladies of the Lakes pool party, 16 June 2026.  I followed this recipe with some additions:  https://www.fifteenspatulas.com/herb-lemon-white-bean-salad/

Serves 4

Ingredients

5 T extra virgin olive oil
2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic pressed [minced]
1/2 t kosher salt
1/8 t black pepper
2 15oz cans of cannellini beans rinsed and drained
1/4 c chopped parsley
1/4 c finely chopped red onion
1 T minced fresh rosemary

Instructions 

In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, salt, and black pepper.

Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Try to let the salad sit in the fridge for at least an hour before serving, to let the flavors meld together.

My notes: 

This recipe definitely serves more than four people. For our pool party, I used three cans of beans and adjusted the other ingredients. I also added:
 
1 T each Red wine vinegar and Dijon for the dressing

1/4 cup Kalamata olives, quartered
About a tablespoon of lemon infused oil
One large celery stalk, chopped small

I prepared the salad the day before serving to let the flavors meld.

Watermelon, Cucumber, & Jicama salad

 
Recipe from Candy Elzey

Candy made this for our book club (11 September 2024)

Black-Eyed Pea Salad

Recipe from Cheryl Noll

Cheryl made this for our book club last night (11 Sep 2024). It was a hit!

Recipe from: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/patrick-and-gina-neely/black-eyed-pea-salad-recipe-1910721

Italian Shrimp Salad

 

Recipe from Jackie Scott

I made this recipe yesterday (Jackie made this back in June) for our book club. 

The recipe is from Skinny Taste: https://www.skinnytaste.com/italian-shrimp-salad/

Monica

6 Servings (about 7 cups)
 
Ingredients
 
1 1/4 lbs cooked (peeled and deveined jumbo (16-20 count) shrimp, tails-off, halved (20 ounces total))
1 cup sliced celery
1 1/3 cups good quality mixed Italian pitted olives (such as Castelvetrano and Kalamata Olives, halved lengthwise)
1/4 cup chopped red onion
5 cloves garlic (minced)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
juice of 2 small lemons
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
black pepper (to taste)
 
Instructions
 
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix.
 
Refrigerate a few hours or overnight to let the flavors meld.

My Notes:

I cut the shrimp into chunks. 

I added some lemon zest. 

I used 4 cloves of garlic (3 would be fine too). 

I let the salad marinade in a zip lock bag for 5 hours.

Charlie Bird's Farro Salad

Recipe from Debbie Zrike

Kathy H made this delicious salad for our May 2024 book club. Debbie provided the recipe, which is titled Harry Bird's Farro salad. See Note below. 

Ingredients:

1 cup pearled farro
I cup fresh apple cider
2 bay leaves
Kosher salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup of good olive oil
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup roasted salted pistachios
1 cup roughly cut fresh parsley
1 cup roughly cut fresh mint leaves
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes halved through the stem
1/3 cup radishes thinly sliced (2 to 3)
2 cups baby arugula
1/2 cup shaved parmesan cheese

Directions:

Place the farro, apple cider, bay leaves, 2 t salt, and 2 cups of water in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes until the farro is tender. (If all the liquid is absorbed before the farro is tender, add a little more water) Drain the farro and transfer to a large serving bowl. Discard the bay leaves.

Meanwhile in a small measuring cut, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, 1 t salt, and 1/2 t pepper. Stir the vinaigrette into the warm farro and set aside for at least 15 minutes to cool.

Before serving, stir in the pistachios, parsley, mint, tomatoes, and radishes. Add the arugula and lightly fold in the parmesan cheese.

Note: A quick check on the internet, this is actually called Charlie Bird's Farro Salad. Courtesy Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten) - Copyright 2018, Cook Like a Pro, Clarkson Potter/Publishers, All Rights Reserved. https://barefootcontessa.com/recipes/charlie-birds-farro-salad

Pam Dunleavy's Chicken Salad

Recipe from Pam Dunleavy

Ingredients:

Costco rotisserie chicken breast meat
Celery
Red delicious apples
Scallions
Dole pineapple chunks
Red grapes
 

I add a little of the canned juice from the pineapple chunks to the chicken after I cut it.
 
Add pasta shells & toss with Hellman’s mayo  :)
 
I don’t measure .. just add as much or little as you like of each.

Lentil Salad

Recipe from Donna Kranchalk Danchisko

Donna made this delicious salad for our book club last night (6 March 2024). Everyone loved it!

Ingredients
 
1 can lentils
1 cup finely diced carrots
1/3 cup finely diced celery
1/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
1/4 cup minced parsley
1 garlic clove, minced
5 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp olive oil
1 Tsp kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
 
Directions

Combine and serve chilled or at room temperature.

Tabbouleh

Recipe from Monica Pileggi

This is from my The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook by America's Test Kitchen cookbook, page 127.

Serves 4

3 tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup medium-grind bulgur
1/2 cup lemon juice (2 lemons)
6 T extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 Teaspoon cayenne pepper
1-1/2 cups minced fresh parsley
1/2 cup fresh mint 
2 scallions, sliced thin
 
Toss tomatoes with 1/4 teaspoon salt in fine-mesh strainer set strainer over bowl and let drain, tossing occasionally for 30 minutes; reserve 2 tablespoons drained tomato juice. 

Toss bulgur with 2 tablespoons lemon juice and reserved tomato juice in a bowl and let sit until grains begin to soften, 30 to 40 minutes.

Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice oil, cayenne, and 1/4 teaspoon salt together in a large bowl. Add tomatoes, bulgur, parsley, mint, and scallions and toss gently to combine. 

Cover and let sit at room temperature until flavors have blended and bulgur is tender, about 1 hour. 

Before serving, toss salad to recombine and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Lemony Dressing

 
Recipe from Cheryl Noll, 15 July 2023 

As requested, here is the recipe for the pasta salad lemony dressing. Use on your favorite salad!

Enjoy!

1/4 C olive oil

1/4 C white balsamic

3 T. fresh lemon juice

Minced garlic (to taste)

1 tsp Italian seasoning

Salt and pepper (to taste)

Her pasta salad included pearl mozzarella, tomatoes, orecchiette pasta, and lots of fresh basil - like a caprese salad with pasta.

Cherry Tomato, Feta & Basil Salad

 

Recipe from Monica Pileggi

I was supposed to make a Tabbouleh salad for our most recent LOTL's pool party but something came up that I didn't have the time to make it.

I had a bunch of cherry tomatoes and fresh basil on hand, so I whipped this up quickly for the party.

Ingredients

1 clove garlic, minced

3 T. Olive Oil

1 T. Balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Squeeze of lemon juice, maybe 1/2 t.

2 C. Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half

Fresh basil, chopped, about 12 leaves

1/4 C. Crumbled Feta cheese

Directions

Combine the first five ingredients in a serving bowl and whisk together. 

Add the tomatoes, basil, and feta cheese; toss to combine. 

Jeweled Israeli Couscous

Recipe from Candy Elzey for a Lakes book club

Recipe link: https://www.finecooking.com/recipe/jeweled-israeli-couscous

Ingredients
 
3 Tbs. olive oil
2/3 cup Israeli couscous
1/4 cup finely chopped shallot (from about 1 large shallot)
1-1/3 cups chicken broth
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
2 Tbs. golden raisins
1/3 packed cup fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped (or parsley or cilantro)
1/4 cup pomegranate arils
3 Tbs. toasted salted pistachios, coarsely chopped
1-1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
 
Preparation
 
In a small saucepan with a lid, heat 2 Tbs. of the oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the couscous and shallot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallot is tender and the couscous is lightly toasted, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the broth and salt, stir to combine, and bring to a boil. Cover, leaving the lid ajar, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 12 minutes.
 
Remove the pot from the heat, stir in the raisins, cover, and let stand 5 minutes. Transfer the couscous to a serving bowl and let cool to room temperature. When the couscous has cooled, stir in the mint, pomegranate arils, pistachios, zest, and juice. Stir in the remaining 1 Tbs. oil, and serve.

Candy’s Notes: Exchanged chopped dates for raisins. Doubled the recipe.

Curried Couscous

 

Recipe from Monica Pileggi

This is a recipe that I’ve made quite a few times and it’s always a hit. I adapted the recipe from: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/curried-couscous-recipe-1951578
 

My changes are in [ ].

1 1/2 cups couscous
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups boiling water [I use low sodium chicken broth. You can use vegetable broth too]
[I added 1/4 t of salt to the water]
 
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt [Too much in my opinion! I only used 1/2 teaspoon]
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
[I added a pinch of sugar]
 
1/2 cup small-diced carrots
1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup dried currants or raisins [I used dried cranberries]
1/4 cup blanched, sliced almonds [Or more]
2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
1/4 cup small-diced red onion
[I added a can (15.5 oz) drained garbanzo beans]
 
Place the couscous in a medium bowl. Melt the butter in the boiling water [add the salt before boiling the water] and pour over the couscous. Cover tightly and allow the couscous to soak for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
 
Whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, vinegar, curry, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Pour over the fluffed couscous and mix well with a fork. [I doubled the yogurt dressing, as the couscous soaked up the dressing and was a little on the dry side].
 
Add the carrots, parsley, currants, almonds, scallions, and red onions, mix well, and season to taste.
 
Serve at room temperature.
 
My Comments:
 
1.5 cups of couscous makes a huge portion, even for a dinner party of 14 people. Now I just use 1 cup of couscous but keep the same measurements (along with doubling the dressing.
 
You can be creative and add whatever vegetables, dried fruits, diced grilled chicken, etc., that you like. It’s really a versatile recipe.