Chicken Caprese Pasta Salad

🥘 Ingredients

• basil
  1 unit
• black pepper
  1 tsp
• chicken breast strips
  12 oz
• chili flakes
  1 tsp
• fresh mozzarella
  4 oz
• garlic herb butter
  2 tbsp
• italian seasoning
  1 tsp
• lemon
  1 unit
• olive oil
  2 tbsp
• orecchiette pasta
  8 oz
• roma tomato
  2 unit
• salt
  ½ tsp
• vegetable oil
  1 tbsp

🍳 Cookware

• medium pot
• large bowl
• large pan

1. 

   1

   Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry all produce. Pick basil leaves from stems and discard stems; reserve a few leaves for garnish and mince remaining. Zest and quarter lemon .

   basil: 1 unit, lemon: 1 unit
2. 

   2

   In a large bowl , whisk together 2 TBSP olive oil , minced basil, lemon zest, juice from half the lemon, salt , and black pepper . Set aside.

   olive oil: 2 tbsp, salt: ½ tsp, black pepper: 1 tsp
3. 

   3

   Once water is boiling, add orecchiette pasta to pot. Cook until al dente, ⏱️ 13 minutes to ⏱️ 15 minutes . Drain.

   orecchiette pasta: 8 oz
4. 

   4

   Meanwhile, pat chicken breast strips dry with paper towels. Heat a drizzle of vegetable oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and season with a few large pinches of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over, ⏱️ 2 minutes to ⏱️ 3 minutes . Sprinkle with italian seasoning . Continue cooking until chicken is cooked through, ⏱️ 2 minutes to ⏱️ 3 minutes more. Turn off heat; stir in garlic herb butter .

   chicken breast strips: 12 oz, vegetable oil: 1 tbsp, italian seasoning: 1 tsp, garlic herb butter: 2 tbsp
5. 

   5

   While chicken cooks, dice roma tomato into ½-inch pieces. Dice fresh mozzarella into ½-inch cubes.

   roma tomato: 2 unit, fresh mozzarella: 4 oz
6. 

   6

   Stir pasta, chicken, tomato, and mozzarella into bowl with dressing until everything is coated. Season with salt and pepper; divide between bowls. Tear reserved basil leaves into pieces and sprinkle over pasta. Top with a pinch of chili flakes if desired. Slice remaining lemon into wedges and serve on the side.

   chili flakes: 1 tsp