Rotini pasta salad with pesto chicken is a great make-ahead meal

This simple pasta salad recipe is a perfect make-ahead meal for a summer picnic or balanced lunch.

“Today we’re going to make ourselves pasta salad here,” Joe Bird said. “Literally, pasta with salad. A lot of times you hear ‘pasta salad’ but there’s no lettuce or greenery involved.”

Le Creuset now makes products for food on the go

Bird’s pasta salad utilizes chicken breast, arugula and cherry tomatoes and is dressed with basil pesto and red wine vinegar. He recommends cooking the rotini in salted water so that the noodles get seasoned as they boil. No black pepper is required in this recipe, as the arugula already adds a peppery flavor.

For the pesto, Bird uses store-bought, although you can make your own at home with basil, pine nuts and olive oil. Bird uses garlic powder in his pasta salad, although you can use minced fresh garlic if you’d like. For the chicken, simply season a chicken breast with salt, pepper and garlic powder before air frying. Let cool, then chop it up and add it to the salad.