linguini with chicken, asparagus and raspberry vinaigrette

Linguine with Chicken, Asparagus and Raspberry Vinaigrette

My sister made this delicious cold pasta for dinner last weekend when I was there visiting. The flavors were very fresh and a bit sweet, which was nice on a hot day. The raspberry vinegar was not easy to find but I think that's the secret to this salad, so don't be afraid to shop around until you find it. She sent her 16 year old son on a raspberry-vinegar-shopping-mission. Luckily, he just got his driver's license and didn't mind going from store to store!

For the salad:

1 pound tri-color pasta

fresh asparagus, steamed and cut in pieces

green onions

red pepper, cut in thin strips

toasted pine nuts (my sister really toasted them until they were nice and brown - excellent!)

chicken breasts, cooked and torn into bite size pieces.

Here's a great way to cook chicken breasts:

use breasts with the bone in and the skin on

drizzle with olive oil and liberally season with salt and pepper

place them skin side up on a baking sheet - be sure to use one that has sides, not the flat kind

roast in a 350 degree oven for about 35-40 minutes or until the juices run clear and a knife inserted into the thickest part of the meat slides out easily

cool for 1/2 hour

peel off the skin, tear the meat away from the bone and slice

For the dressing:

1/3 C raspberry wine vinegar

2 t dijon

2-3 t dried tarragon

1 green onion, cut in small pieces

salt

pepper

Put all this in a blender and as it is whirling around, slowly add 1 C olive oil.

Adjust seasonings