Apricot-Chicken Pasta Salad

A delicious, colorful main dish pasta salad with diced cooked chicken, wedges of fresh apricot, julienned zucchini and red bell pepper dressed in a fresh apricot and basil dressing.

Recipe Ingredients:

Apricot Basil Dressing:
2 fresh, ripe apricots (pitted)
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil

Salad:
4 ounces fusilli (corkscrew) pasta
6 fresh apricots (3/4 pound), cut into quarters
1 whole chicken breast, cooked and shredded
2 small zucchini (1/2 pound), julienned
1 red bell pepper, seeded and julienned
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried

Cooking Directions:

1. For Apricot Basil Dressing: Combine 2 apricots, white wine vinegar and sugar in blender; whirl until blended. With blender running, slowly add vegetable oil until thick and smooth. Stir in basil. Makes 1 cup.
2. For Salad: Cook pasta as package directs; drain and let cool.
3. Combine pasta, apricots, chicken, zucchini, red pepper, and basil in bowl. Toss with dressing.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/4 of recipe): 270 calories, 11 g protein, 27 g carbohydrates, 19 mg sodium, 15 g fat, 18 mg cholesterol, 3 g dietary fiber, 2305 IU vitamin A, 568 mg potassium.

Recipe provided courtesy California Fresh Apricot Council.