Italian Chicken Pasta Salad — The Dish I Brought to the Marchettis

Asha Krishnamurthy-Marchetti was born on September 2, 2022, at a hospital in Trenton. Seven pounds, six ounces. Quiet. Dark-eyed. Half Krishnamurthy, half Marchetti. The first child in our family who will grow up with biryani AND meatballs as birthright. Arvind called me from the hospital at 4 AM. "She's here, Akka. She's beautiful." I drove to Trenton at dawn with a steel container of dried ginger laddus — the postpartum food, the traditional Tamil preparation that I'd been making and freezing for weeks. The same laddus Amma made for me. Now made by me, for Dina. Dina, exhausted and radiant, ate two laddus and said, "These taste like ginger candy from a witch's kitchen." "That's exactly what they are." "I love them." She loves them. The dried ginger laddu, traveling from Amma's postpartum tradition to an Italian-American physical therapist in Trenton. The recipe as bridge, as welcome, as the family saying: you're one of us now, and this is what we feed our new mothers. Amma met Asha the next day. Arvind brought the baby to our parents' house — small, swaddled, sleeping. Amma held her — the third grandchild — and looked at her face the same way she looked at Anaya's and Rohan's. "She looks like Arvind," she said. "Everyone says that," Arvind said. "She has my eyes." "Those are Dina's eyes, Amma." "They're my eyes on Dina's face." The genetics debate continues. Every grandchild's features are claimed by Amma as Krishnamurthy property, regardless of the actual DNA distribution. Anaya met her cousin with the reverence of a five-year-old examining something precious. "She's very small," she whispered. "You were that small once." "I was never that small. I was born medium." Rohan, twenty months, examined Asha with the intensity of a boy encountering a competitor. He poked her foot. She didn't react. He seemed satisfied. I made biryani for the Marchetti household — a full pot, delivered to Dina's parents' house along with the remaining laddus. Because you feed new mothers. That's the rule. That's always the rule. Asha. Hope. Welcome to the family. The biryani is waiting.

I brought the laddus for Dina and the biryani for the household — but when you’re feeding both a Tamil family and an Italian-American one in the same week, you start thinking about what else you can offer that feels like a bridge. This Italian Chicken Pasta Salad became that bridge: something I could make in a big batch, leave in the fridge at Dina’s parents’ house, and know that whoever walked through the door — a Krishnamurthy or a Marchetti — would find something familiar waiting for them. Asha came into a family that feeds people. This is one of the ways we do it.

Italian Chicken Pasta Salad

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 lb rotini or fusilli pasta
• 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup cucumber, diced
• 1/2 cup black olives, sliced
• 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, chopped
• 1/3 cup red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup pepperoncini, sliced
• 4 oz salami, diced (optional)
• 1/2 cup fresh mozzarella pearls or cubed mozzarella
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 3/4 cup Italian dressing (store-bought or homemade)
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Shaved Parmesan, for serving

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain, rinse under cold water, and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
2. Prep the chicken. If starting with raw chicken, season two chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and a pinch of oregano. Cook in a skillet over medium heat for 6–7 minutes per side until cooked through. Let rest, then dice or shred into bite-sized pieces.
3. Combine vegetables and proteins. To the cooled pasta, add chicken, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, olives, roasted red peppers, red onion, pepperoncini, salami (if using), and mozzarella. Toss gently to distribute evenly.
4. Dress the salad. In a small bowl, whisk together Italian dressing, red wine vinegar, and dried oregano. Pour over the salad and toss well to coat. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
5. Chill. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes — or up to overnight — to allow the flavors to meld. The pasta will absorb the dressing as it sits; add a splash more dressing before serving if needed.
6. Finish and serve. Just before serving, fold in torn basil and chopped parsley. Top with shaved Parmesan. Serve cold or at room temperature directly from a large bowl.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 420 | Protein: 28g | Fat: 16g | Carbs: 42g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 780mg