Italian Chicken Pasta Salad — The Night I Stopped Surviving and Started Savoring

Thanksgiving leftovers for days. Turkey sandwiches Monday and Tuesday. Turkey soup Wednesday. Turkey enchiladas Thursday (recycling is not just for cans — it's for poultry). By Friday, Mason said, "Mama, if I eat more turkey I'm going to grow feathers," which is biologically inaccurate but emotionally valid. I made pizza Friday night as a palate cleanser. Store-bought dough, marinara, mozzarella, whatever's in the fridge. The kids treated it like liberation.

I'm thinking about reconstruction. Breast reconstruction. I've been putting it off — there was chemo, then recovery, then divorce, and the idea of another surgery, another hospital, another recovery, felt like more than I could carry. But I'm stronger now. I'm not doing it for vanity. I'm doing it for me — for the ability to wear a shirt without prosthetics, for the feeling of my body being complete in a way it hasn't been since October 2016. I made an appointment with Dr. Kendall for a consultation in January.

Kyle sent a package from Germany for the kids: matching Germany national team soccer jerseys, size small, with their names on the back. Mason immediately put his on and refused to remove it for three days. Lily wore hers to preschool and told everyone her uncle was "in the Army fighting bad guys in Germany," which is not precisely what Kyle does but is close enough for a four-year-old's understanding of military service. Kyle included a note for me: "Proud of you, sis. Always." Four words from Kyle is the equivalent of a ten-page letter from anyone else.

I spent Saturday afternoon at the library with the kids. Mason checked out seven books. Lily checked out three picture books about horses, which is the only subject the library carries as far as she's concerned. I checked out a novel — the first novel I've read for pleasure since before the diagnosis. I used to read constantly. Cancer took that away, the way it takes everything — the energy, the focus, the ability to care about fictional characters when your own story is terrifying. But I'm ready to read again. I'm ready to live in someone else's story for a while, because my story is stabilizing, and stabilizing means I have room to be someone else for three hundred pages.

I made a simple pasta — aglio e olio, garlic and olive oil, the Italian midnight snack. Spaghetti, good olive oil, garlic sliced thin, red pepper flakes, parsley. Five ingredients. Ten minutes. A meal that proves you don't need much to make something beautiful. I ate it at 10 PM, after the kids were asleep, in the quiet kitchen, with a glass of wine and the novel open on the counter, and it was, I think, the first time since Scott left that I felt like a person having a moment, not just a person surviving one.

That bowl of spaghetti at 10 PM — just garlic, olive oil, and quiet — reminded me that the best food doesn’t ask much of you. This Italian Chicken Pasta Salad lives in that same spirit: a handful of fresh, honest ingredients, no fuss, and enough flavor to make you feel like you did something beautiful without trying too hard. It’s the kind of recipe I’ll be reaching for on the nights when the kids are finally asleep and I want something that feels like a reward, not a project.

Italian Chicken Pasta Salad

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 12 minutes | Total Time: 27 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 12 oz rotini or penne pasta
• 2 cups cooked chicken breast, chopped or shredded (rotisserie works perfectly)
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
• 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, sliced
• 1/3 cup red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh mozzarella pearls (or diced fresh mozzarella)
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1/3 cup good-quality olive oil
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Grated Parmesan, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse briefly under cold water to stop cooking. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
2. Make the dressing. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and a generous pinch of salt and black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
3. Combine. Add the chicken, cherry tomatoes, olives, roasted red peppers, and red onion to the pasta. Pour the dressing over everything and toss gently to coat.
4. Add the fresh elements. Fold in the mozzarella pearls, fresh basil, and parsley. Toss once more lightly so the cheese stays intact.
5. Rest and serve. Let the salad rest for at least 5 minutes before serving so the pasta absorbs the dressing. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled, topped with Parmesan if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 420 | Protein: 26g | Fat: 16g | Carbs: 44g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 480mg