Grilled-Chicken Pasta Salad with Artichoke Hearts

• Recipe by Quick From Scratch Pasta

Using canned artichoke hearts cuts the preparation time for this salad way down. They are surprisingly good; just be sure to rinse them thoroughly to get rid of any extra acidity or "tinny" taste.

Ingredients

1. 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound in all)
2. 7 tablespoons olive oil
3. 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
4. 1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
5. 3/4 pound fusilli
6. 1 1/4 cups canned, drained artichoke hearts (one 14-ounce can), rinsed and cut into 6 wedges each
7. 3 scallions including green tops, chopped
8. 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
9. 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
10. 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Light the grill or heat the broiler. Coat the chicken with 1 tablespoon of the oil and season with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Grill or broil until just done, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes and then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices.
2. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the fusilli until just done, about 13 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain thoroughly. In a large bowl, toss the pasta with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.
3. Add the chicken, artichoke hearts, scallions, parsley, the remaining 5 tablespoons oil, the vinegar, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the Parmesan to the pasta and toss well.