Gluten-Free Warm Roasted Chicken Salad with Brown Rice Pasta

Tonight I Cleared Out the Fridge for Dinner


We had some veggies that were beginning to look a little "aged" so I roasted them with chicken breast and made this very satisfying Warm Roasted Chicken Salad with Whole Wheat Penne.  It's my adaptation of Dr. Oz's Warm Chicken-Orzo Salad recipe and very healthy.

Warm Roasted Chicken Salad with Whole Wheat Penne

I managed to improve on Dr. Oz's nutritional counts by eliminating the goat cheese and swapping the orzo for whole wheat pasta, lowering the Total calories to 360 per serving (Dr. Oz's: 420),  total carbs to 36.7g (Dr. Oz's: 41g), fat to 10.5g (Dr. Oz's: 14g), total cholesterol to 72.6mg (Dr. Oz's: 79mg).  He did better on sodium, because I salt my pasta water.  Leave it out and reduce the sodium to 325 mg.

Warm Roasted Chicken Salad with Brown Rice Penne

Adapted from Dr. Oz’s Warm Chicken-Orzo Salad

4 Servings

30 minutes

1 pint grape tomatoes, rinsed

1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into ½” chunks

4 ribs celery, cut into sticks, then ½” pieces

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided use

¼ teaspoon dried oregano, divided use

1 teaspoon salt, divided use

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon lemon pepper

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed

1 ½ cups brown rice penne pasta

2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice

Preheat oven to 450F.

Heat water to cook pasta.

On one side of an 18x12” jelly roll pan, toss vegetables with garlic, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1/8 teaspoon each oregano, black pepper and salt.  Spread in an even layer.

Cut chicken breasts in half like a book, making 2 cutlets of each; then cut into 1” chunks.

On the other side of the same jelly roll pan, toss chicken with 1 tablespoon oil and 1/8 teaspoon each lemon pepper, oregano and salt.  Spread in an even layer.

Roast 15 minutes or until chicken is done (160F).

When pasta water comes to a boil, add ½ teaspoon salt and cook pasta following label directions while chicken and vegetables roast.  Drain and put into a heatproof bowl large enough to hold pasta, chicken and vegetables.

When chicken and vegetables are done, add them and their juices to the bowl with pasta.

Add lemon juice and toss well.

Divide onto 4 serving plates.

Printable recipe for Warm Roasted Chicken Salad with Whole Wheat Pasta, substitute brown rice pasta to make it gluten-free.